


Impulse

by Xenobia



Series: Obsession Never Dies [5]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Femslash, Background Het, Brainwashing, Drama, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Sexual Content, Humor, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Sequel, Slash, Yaoi, side pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 15:13:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 171,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9241112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenobia/pseuds/Xenobia
Summary: Eren and Levi have settled down together in a nice home, with two loving dogs. Everything is going fantastic for them, until Levi vanishes in the middle of a case he's working on. When he comes back, everyone notices some minor changes in his behavior, and Eren is deeply concerned by it. Takes place after "Encore". Part 5 of my "Obsession Never Dies" series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Reader beware: updates on this fanfiction are going to be slow, for now. I've prioritized my works in progress and this one is at the bottom of the list. Sorry I'm so cray with writing so much all at once!

*Disclaimer: This fanfiction is for entertainment, non-profit purposes only. I do not claim ownership of any canon characters or the world that this is set in.

* * *

"Eren, I'm sorry to inform you that Levi is missing in action."

Those words were like a fist around Eren's heart. He'd feared hearing them from the first day since reuniting with his old lover, and his reaction to Erwin's bad news was no better than he'd envisioned. "Missing? How? Erwin, how could this happen?"

The UFI director's response was low and calm, but there was underlying tension beneath. "I wish I knew. He took a personal assignment to deal with a situation that arose, and we haven't heard or seen from him since. We're doing everything in our power to locate him and confirm his safety, Eren."

The singer's fist clenched. He still had a week of the latest tour to go through, but how could he possibly manage it knowing his beloved captain could be dead or injured? "What was he doing? Where was he at?"

"I'm afraid I can't part with that information."

Eren's expression hardened, and his eyes blazed. " _Tell me_ , dammit! I'm his husband! I have a right to know!"

"Son, calm down." Erwin's voice was steady, but that tension remained. He sounded like he was at the end of his rope. "I can't have you panicking on top of everything else. Believe me, Eren, there is nothing more important to me right now than finding Levi and bringing him home safe to you."

Eren took a shaken breath. Of course it would be a top priority of Erwin's. The man still loved Levi, still relied on him both in life and in business. "What can you tell me, sir?"

"He last reported in at fifteen hundred hours yesterday," obliged Erwin. "He was on a case concerning illegal records being leaked from the UFI. We've been trying to reach him since, and I already have people on the search. I want to find him just as much as you do."

Eren felt like his world was collapsing around him. He sank down onto the couch in the tour bus, his legs giving out under him. Across from him, Connie and Sasha paused in their conversation to watch him with concern.

"He can't be dead," whispered Eren, throat aching. "He just _can't_ be!"

"I agree," answered Erwin's reassuring, deep voice. "I don't believe for a moment that Levi is dead, and neither should you. He's strong, Eren. We'll find him. This is my vow."

Eren nodded, though his former commander couldn't possibly see it. "Thank you, sir. Please keep me updated."

He hung up, and all of the feeling seemed to vanish from his arms and hands. They fell at his sides bonelessly, and Eren stared off into space. His spouse...his lover...his captain...the person that meant the most to him in the world was missing, possibly dead.

"Eren?"

He didn't register Sasha's concerned voice, nor did he feel her hands cupping his face.

"Dude, what's going on?" demanded Connie. He reached out to squeeze Eren's shoulder when the singer put his face in his hand and started to cry softly. "Eren? What's up, man?"

"L-Levi," managed Eren after a few hiccups. "He's missing. He was on...a mission and now...they don't know if he's...alive or dead. He _can't_ be dead!"

"Oh," replied Connie with wide eyes. "Shit. Hey look, the Captain's more than capable of handling himself. He's gotta be okay, Eren."

Sasha had started to cry as well, so she was no help. Armin came in at the end of the conversation, and he set his jaw upon seeing Eren breaking down. "I'm canceling the rest of the tour. This is more important than publicity."

"Levi wouldn't like that," sniffed Eren, trying hard to compose himself. "He'd never approve."

Armin went to him, and he knelt down before the distressed singer. His blue gaze was earnest and intense on Eren. "There is a lot that we've done that the captain wouldn't approve of, Eren. He's in danger now, and even if he frowns on it, I think he'd do the same for you."

Jean and Mikasa walked into the area at that moment, and the former frowned at the sight of his lead singer sobbing softly into his hand. "What the hell's going on, here?"

"C-captain's dead!" Sasha cried, and then she started bawling.

Mikasa's eyes went wide, and she looked to Eren for answers. "What? Eren, is this true?"

"We don't know that yet," Armin was quick to answer in Eren's stead. "He just got a phone call that Levi is missing. Don't panic, okay?"

"Fuck," spat Jean. His long features softened on Eren, displaying compassion he rarely spared for the other man. "Hey, don't give up on him. It's a missing person, right? Not a death report."

Eren pulled his face out of his hands, and he looked at his former rival with wet eyes. "But he could be dead."

Jean's face hardened. "Who are we, Eren?"

The singer's face screwed up with confusion. "What?"

"Who are we?" repeated Jean. "What were we known for in that other life?"

"W-we're soldiers," whispered Eren, voice raw with devastation. "Scouts."

Jean nodded somberly. "And who fuck with our captain, you psycho?"

Eren felt the rage boiling up within him, and he practically snarled his response. "Nobody."

Again, Jean nodded. "Right. Armin?" He looked up at the bond man expectantly.

"We're turning around and heading back to Tarsus Valley," stated Armin firmly. "We're with you, Eren. We'll find him."

"Damned right, we will!" Connie pumped a fist in the air. "Full throttle! if anyone's messed with the captain, they'll have _us_ to deal with! Fuck the tour, we look after our own!"

Eren gave the drummer a hesitant, lop-sided smile. "So you'll help me?"

"Sure. It's the captain." Connie shrugged. "How many times has he saved our asses in the past? This is bigger than catching a few gigs, Eren. I'd feel like a dick if Levi was in real trouble and I could do something to help but didn't."

"Besides," reasoned Armin, "He's your husband now. He's part of the 'family', and we should all do our parts to help."

Eren's tears began to dry, and he felt comforted by his friends' expressed support. "Thank you, guys. This may all be nothing, but it isn't like Levi not to check in for so long."

Mikasa sat down beside him, and she patted him on the shoulder. "We're with you, Eren. Whatever's going on, you aren't going to be alone in this."

* * *

The search for Levi intensified after two further days passed without any leads. Eren and his band were back home in Tarsus Valley. His mother had been taking care of the dogs for him after learning that his husband was missing, and she had a ton of questions for him that poor Eren simply couldn't answer. Madeline finally stopped asking them when she saw how upset he was getting, and she resorted to trying to comfort him with a mother's love, instead. Hange naturally got wind of what was going on, and she and Moblit were using every geek skill at their disposal to scour the networks for any clues that might reveal where he was before he went missing.

It was Hange who revealed the first valuable clue to Eren, and the news she brought to him wasn't encouraging at all. She and Moblit came to his home for a visit, and she sipped the beer he'd offered her with contemplative, red-brown eyes as they had a seat on the modular couch.

"They've located Levi's phone," Hange said at last, not looking at the singer. "Attempting to track it to find him was actually the first thing they tried, but they couldn't get a signal, at first."

Eren swallowed. "Why? Was the battery dead?"

Hange shook her head. "It got wet. Moblit and I went through the logs after getting clearance to do so, and that's how we figured out where he'd last been with it. They sent people to 44th and 15th once we confirmed Levi had sent a text from that location. The phone was in a sewage ditch, but I'm sorry to say, there was no trace of Levi."

Eren shut his eyes. "None at all? No signs of a struggle or anything?"

"We've had a lot of rain over the past couple of days," explained Moblit sympathetically. "If there were any traces of blood or hair, it's been washed away."

"They _did_ find one thing, though," Hange was quick to add. "There was a broken vial in the alley, a short distance from where Levi's phone was found."

"But that could be anything," protested Eren. "It could just be some drug addict's paraphernalia!"

"We don't think so," Hange answered. She glanced sidelong at her blond companion. Moblit and I had a good look at it when they brought it in for evidence, and it's not a standard medical vial."

Eren looked at her, still absently clutching his forgotten bottle of beer in one hand. "So what kind of vial do you think it was, then?"

"We think it came out of a tranquilizer dart," answered Moblit. "Like the kind I...um..."

Eren scowled at him. "Like the kind you shot Levi with in that transport chopper when you were with the BRS, you mean?"

Moblit looked properly contrite. "Yes. Just like that one. Hange and I agree that if someone abducted Captain Levi, the only way they could have managed to overpower him would be to dose him strongly. It's safe to say that Levi wouldn't just take off and abandon you of his own free will, so that means someone must have taken him."

Eren groaned softly. That was one of his worst fears, and it would be naive of him to think the UFI didn't have powerful enemies out there that would jump at the opportunity to get their hands on one of their top agents. He started to imagine the torture Levi might be undergoing right now at the hands of people that wanted government secrets from him. Levi would never break; he would die before he'd tell them anything.

"Eren, here." Hange slid the tissue box on the coffee table over to him when she noticed his eyes tearing up.

His hands were shaking as he put his beer down and yanked a tissue out of the box to dab at his eyes. "I may never see him again. If someone's really kidnapped him to get information, he'll _force_ them to kill him!"

"Stop that," ordered Hange, using her squad commander voice. She reached out to cup the distraught young man's face in her hands. "Listen to me, Eren; Levi is a survivor. He always has been. If he's someone's captive right now, you can bet he's doing his best to give them hell and drive them crazy, but he would _not_ throw his life away if he could help it. He's got at least one good reason to stay alive, and knowing that potty-mouthed terror, he'll find a way to get back to you. What we need to concentrate on right now is figuring out who took him and where."

"You're sure about this?" Eren said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "There's no chance that he might have slipped and hit his head or something? What if he's just in a hospital somewhere in a coma? Maybe he fell off a roof trying to follow a suspect or something."

"Honey, they've checked every hospital in this city and the next counties over for any recent patients admitted that match Levi's description. I'm sure you've done the same."

"Yeah, but if he lost his wallet and he got brought in as a John Doe, they wouldn't have his name on record. He could be out there somewhere, just unconscious! Have they actually sent people into the hospitals to check out every patient that's been admitted since Levi vanished?"

Hange nodded. "That was one of the first things Erwin did. I'm sorry Eren, but you need to face the fact that if Levi's in a hospital bed, it isn't in some medical ward."

Eren's eyes widened. "What does _that_ mean?"

Hange sighed, and she released his face. "It means I've been postulating theories non-stop since this started, and the more I look at the evidence, the more I wonder if Levi might have been taken for reasons _other_ than government secrets he might have. When I was infiltrating the BRS, Rod Reiss expressed a lot of interest in the Ackerman blood line. He's gone now, but there are still members of that faction out there who haven't been found and brought in, yet. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but Erwin had Kenny moved to a different holding location and put under tighter guard, and he's having Mikasa watched closely, as well."

Eren felt rage gathering along with the panic and helplessness. He stood up abruptly, and he scrubbed his fingers through his hair. "You think there are people that want to experiment on him? Is that what you're telling me?"

"I don't know for sure, but I'd say it's a strong possibility. The unique memory capabilities of that bloodline were a point of interest for the BRS when I was in there, and discovering what makes them so unique may well have been on their list of agendas."

Hange stood up as well, and she put comforting hands on Eren's shoulders. "This is all just speculation on my part right now, Eren. The only thing we know for sure is that Levi is missing, and he would have contacted someone by now if he were able to. I'm sure he's alive though, wherever he is."

"H-how can you be sure?" Tears started streaming from Eren's eyes freely, and his mind wouldn't stop picturing Levi's broken body lying somewhere, maybe buried deep underground or at the bottom of a river somewhere. He might never get to hear his husband make that annoyed clicking sound with his tongue, never get to here his cute little reserved "heh" when he got amused, never get to make love to him and watch his expressions as he surrendered to pleasure.

Hange gazed at him evenly. "Don't you think you'd feel it if he were dead, Eren? I think _I_ would, and I don't have the bond with him that you do."

Her words reached through the cage of fear surrounding Eren, and his tears slowed. Yes, he would know it if Levi were dead. In their previous life, he'd felt it in his bones when his captain got mortally injured. Levi was clearly in some kind of danger, but he _couldn't_ be dead.

"Don't give up hope," urged Hange, seeing that she was getting through to him. She hugged Eren close. "Levi is too tough and too stubborn to go down easily. I really believe we're going to find him, or he's going to get back to us on his own—whichever comes first."

Eren nodded and hugged her back. He just hoped that they found his husband in one piece, and he tried not to let his imagination distress him too much with thoughts of what could be happening to the captain as they spoke.

* * *

"What is your status, Mike?"

"I'm following Chambers as directed," answered the deputy director softly into his phone. "Doesn't seem to be trying to hide himself very hard, chief. He hasn't even left the city since quitting the agency, and he still lives in the same place as before."

"Levi was monitoring him when he went missing," reminded Erwin. "We can't leave any stone unturned."

"I'm just saying if this guy really was leaking agency information, he's being pretty careless," mumbled Mike, keeping his eyes on the brunet he was following. Mike ducked around a corner when Gregory Chambers bought a newspaper at a street stand and turned around in his direction while reading the headlines. The man's oval glasses glinted in the morning light.

"Erwin, my gut's telling me that we're barking up the wrong tree here," insisted Mike again after observing the target of his scrutiny for a moment longer. "Nothing about this guy's scent or mannerisms tells me he's got anything to hide. You said yourself he been in tech support for some game company since he quit, right?"

"Yes, I did," agreed Erwin, "but don't forget that it system hacking was a large part of our struggle with the BRS and SC. Chambers was one of our system techs, and people can be much more than they appear."

The big blond agent shrugged. "All right. As soon as I can get him alone, I'll bring him in."

"Try to use diplomacy as a start," Erwin instructed. "If he has nothing to hide as you suspect, he should be willing to come with you to headquarters to answer some questions. Remind him that he isn't under arrest just yet, so as to avoid a panic situation and make things more difficult."

"Got it. I'll check back in with you when I have an update."

Mike hung up the phone. Like Erwin, Levi and several other close coworkers from his original branch had transferred to the Tarsus Valley branch after Trost headquarters got blown up, his quarry had been with the former since the beginning. Chambers had stated his reason for retiring from the agency as trauma. Like many, he'd been present in Tarsus Valley during the attempted attack, and he'd seen the footage of what happened with the Titan Drop operation. He didn't want to be involved in such dangerous work any longer, which was fine, except that anyone in the agency had to be put under observation after signing off or being terminated from their position, for security purposes.

As Mike closed in on him and waited for the man to go into his apartment building before following, he wondered why Gregory _hadn't_ opted to move away to a quieter place. TV had been a target of the enemy organizations, after all. Mike supposed he could simply be attached to his city of residence, or else he hadn't saved up enough funds to facilitate a move.

Mike went into the building after a few moments, and he took the stairs rather than the elevator up to the second floor. He found Chamber's apartment number, and he stopped before the door to knock on it, readying himself in case the guy tried to deny him entry. Though techs like Chambers didn't get extensive combat training like field agents, the man probably knew enough to do some damage, if Mike got careless.

"Gregory," Mike said when the door cracked open to reveal the brunet's face on the other side. "Remember me? Deputy Director Zacharius, originally from the Trost branch." Mike showed him his ID badge as confirmation.

Gregory's brows hedged briefly, but he was aware of the conditions of the agency letting him go. "I suppose you're here to do an inspection or something?"

"It's more complicated than that. Can I come in?"

The tech hesitated briefly, and then he sighed. "Hold on. I'll get the chain."

Mike waited for him to shut the door and slide the chain free from the door before opening it again. Gregory stood aside while Mike stepped in. He kept his distance from the tall agent, prudently keeping in mind Mike's reputation for hitting like a truck when provoked.

"Sorry for the mess," Chambers said with a rueful glance around at the interior of his living room. There were half-packed boxes staged against the walls, and his furniture had been covered. "I'm in the process of organizing for a move."

Mike nodded. That answered his earlier question. "Have you told the agency?"

"Not yet, because I haven't settled on a place." Gregory shrugged lightly relaxing a bit under Mike's calm tone and neutral stance. "When I have an address to give them, I will."

Mike looked around casually, taking in little details. While there was clutter, it was _organized_ clutter. If this guy was planning to try and skip town in a hurry, those boxes wouldn't be neatly labeled, with kitchenware and glasses carefully wrapped and packed. He'd have just grabbed what he could, thrown it in some boxes and taken the first opportunity to get scarce if he was trying to run from something.

"So where are you thinking of moving?" Mike asked conversationally, walking towards the living room window. Looking out and down, he could recognize the spot where Levi's phone had been found.

"Uptown," answered the other man. "It's closer to my job. Besides, this neighborhood's gotten a little noisy."

"Hmm, so you aren't even moving out of town?" Mike half-turned to look at him. "I'd think you'd want to get away from here, after what happened with the exo station that day."

"I'd thought of it," confessed Gregory. "That was my first impulse, honestly. I've lived here for almost ten years now though. I figure something like that isn't likely to happen again, now that Satellite Core and the BRS have been dissolved."

"You never know," muttered the agent. He said it under his breath, though. It was better to encourage this guy to stay within the territory until he was officially cleared. He was only allowed to move up to three counties away right now, anyway. Mike approached the young tech, and he decided it was time to get down to business.

"I'm not just here to have a look around and ask questions about what you've been doing since quitting. One of our top-ranking agents went missing."

Chambers' brows went up. "Oh yeah? That sucks."

Mike gave a solemn little nod. "You said it. It doesn't just suck for the agency, though. It sucks for you."

Gregory paled a little. "Me? Why me? Who's missing and why are you coming to me about it?"

"Special Agent-in-charge Levi Ackerman-Jaeger," explained Mike. You may remember he got put in charge of his own department after he transferred here. You were still with the agency then, weren't you?"

"Yes, I remember him." Gregory looked confused. "Now he's missing?"

"For nearly a week, now," confirmed Mike, "and the last time he was heard from, he was keeping an eye on you. Someone found evidence that classified information might be being leaked from the agency, so naturally all retired and dismissed staff have been getting investigated."

"They think I have something to do with Agent Ackerman's disappearance?" Gregory seemed like he was caught between laughter and disbelief. "I was a tech, sir. Levi's a combat agent. He could probably kill me before I could even blink!"

"True," agreed Mike, "but we've all seen that physical force isn't the only way to get things done. I'd like you to come in to headquarters with me and answer some questions, for the record. It's the fastest way to get you off the suspect list and keep your accounts from getting frozen."

"But...I haven't even _seen_ Agent Ackerman in months," protested Gregory.

"Come here," Mike ordered, nodding at the window. "Take a look at the street down there."

Obviously puzzled, the other man did as he was advised. "What about it? It's just the alleyway behind my building and an awful view."

"That was where we found Ackerman's phone," explained Mike softly. He met Gregory's brown eyes grimly. "That was where Levi most likely was last, before he disappeared. In fact, he was in the process of texting a report on your status to our boss when he suddenly went dark. Do you see the problem, here?"

Chambers went pale again. "What day did you say this happened?"

"We can talk about that at headquarters," insisted Mike. "I'm not cleared to give you any more information, right now."

"Okay," sighed the former technician. "I'll come with you."

* * *

Erwin sipped his coffee as he watched from the observation room while Petra and Mike questioned Chambers heavily. Farlan and Isabel were at his side, both watching intently for any signs that the man was lying. The polygraph said he was telling the truth, but people had been known to trick the things before.

"I remember the day you're talking about," Chambers said after some thought. "I kept getting this feeling that afternoon that someone was following me, but I couldn't see anyone. I figured it had to be someone from the agency, so I tried to blow it off. It was raining hard that day. I got inside my apartment as fast as I could, because the lightning was hitting too close for comfort."

"And you didn't see any sign of Agent Ackerman?" pressed Petra, though it was probably a redundant question. When Levi didn't want to be seen, he usually wasn't.

"No ma'am." Chambers shook his head. "I didn't see anyone suspicious hanging around, either, but it was pissing down rain and I could hardly even see across the street. He could have been right behind me and I probably wouldn't have seen him."

"Did you hear any disturbances from the alley?" Petra asked. "Any sounds of struggle or gunfire?"

"I couldn't hear much of anything except the rain and the thunder outside. I might have heard a trash can get knocked over at some point, but that's not an unusual sound where I live. Strays are always doing that."

Erwin adjusted the mic attached to his communication head piece. "Mike, ask him if anyone's approached him about his former work with the UFI since he left the agency."

Mike dutifully repeated the question. At first, Gregory denied having spoken to anyone about that, but then the polygraph needle sped up, and he revised his answer. "Wait, now that I think about it, there was something..."

"Go on," Petra urged, her voice tensing. "Anything you can tell us, Gregory."

"Someone showed up at my door about a week after I quit," obliged the young man. "He showed me his UFI identification, and he didn't ask to come in. He just asked if I had any plans of changing residencies anytime soon. I told him I might in the future, but I not for a while."

"What was his name?" Mike and Petra both asked.

Chambers rubbed his forehead, his brows tensing with concentration. "Uh, I can't remember the first name. I caught a glimpse of the last name though...what was it? It started with a 'P'."

Erwin leaned towards Isabel. "Check the roster and make a list of every staff member we have with a surname starting with that letter."

"Yes sir!" She hurried off to do as he commanded.

"Do you remember what he looked like?" Petra asked.

The guy shook his head uncertainly. The polygraph needle jerked a bit, but that merely indicated concentration. "It was a while ago," apologized Chambers. "The only thing that stood out was that his hair was kind of long, and he had it in a ponytail. It was blond, and he was wearing sunglasses. A little taller than me. I'd say he was about your age, sir." He looked up at Mike.

"Did you notice any distinguishing marks?" asked Mike. "Tattoos, scars, blemishes?"

"Not that I can recall," sighed Chambers. "Other than his hair being a little long for an agent, he was pretty clean-cut. Oh, wait..."

"What is it?" Demanded Petra urgently. Mike gave her shoulder a squeeze, and she calmed the note of desperation in her voice. "I mean, did he say or do something that seemed odd?"

"No, but he gave me a card," answered the tech thoughtfully. "It was a UFI business card. He said to contact him if I planned to move and the agency would help me out if they could."

"And you didn't think to check in on that?" Mike raised a brow.

Chambers looked up at the intimidating blond, and he winced. "Honestly sir, I've just been trying to put it all behind me. I put the card away somewhere and I've never looked at it since. You're the first agent I've talked to since that guy."

Mike and Petra looked at the one-sided mirror, behind which Erwin and Farlan were observing the interview. Erwin turned on his mic again. "We need to find that card."

Mike nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Well kiddies, there's no record anywhere of this 'Evret Packard'," Hange informed the agency the next day. Petra found the business card left by the alleged agent after searching Chambers' home and finally locating it buried in his work desk drawer. The agency confirmed that they had no staff on record by that name, even under an alias. That was when Erwin decided to take it to Hange and have her dig deeper.

"You're telling me that _nobody_ by that name exists anywhere?" Erwin asked her with a frown, bending over to look at the results on her laptop's screen over her shoulder.

"Nobody in these parts matching the description given to us," she answered grimly. "I assume you've already had all the locals near where Levi disappeared questioned about whether they saw or heard anything?"

"We have." Erwin sighed, and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "There reports were much like Chambers', those who heard anything at all. They presumed it was just some strays making noise or a common street fight. I suppose in that area, people just get used to sounds like that and aren't quick to investigate unless it goes on for some time."

Hange propped her elbows on the desk and put her chin in her hands, narrowing her eyes at the screen. "Well, this is no good. The only thing that I can do further in this respect is give you the addresses of everyone matching the name and dig a little more on each of them. It could be that the culprit was wearing a wig to go along with his uniform disguise. He might not really have long blond hair at all."

"That's probable," agreed Mike. He looked at Erwin. "Petra's having that card she found scanned for prints, right?"

"Of course." Erwin shrugged. "Let's hope we see some results from that. I'm not fond of our chances of finding this man or Levi under these circumstances."

Even Hange appeared less confident than before. Levi was a resourceful and clever man, both hard to trap and hard to subdue. If he hadn't managed to contact anyone by now, then it meant he was in serious trouble. "We'll keep trying," she said with a determined press of her lips. We've got to turn _something_ useful up, eventually."

* * *

Unaware that now two weeks had passed since his associates and friends started a missing person investigation on him, Levi lay in a haze of confusion, drifting in and out of consciousness. Sometimes he saw bright, floating lights, and he heard a droning voice speaking to him in words he couldn't even understand. He wasn't sure if it was real or a fever dream. The last thing he recalled clearly was searching for a way up to the roof in an alley to use his stakeout equipment and monitor his charge. He wasn't really even supposed to be on this assignment, but his team was backed up, and too much time behind a desk made him feel antsy. He wanted to get out and do the physical work sometimes, so that he wouldn't lose his edge.

But losing his edge was exactly what he must have done, because he didn't sense the danger approaching until it was too late. He remembered turning to see a figure in the darkness, followed by a stinging pain in his chest and a hard blow against the back of his head.

Levi flinched when someone placed a cool, damp cloth against his forehead. He struggled to open his eyes, struggled to make his body react to defend himself, but his muscles felt like lead. He ached all over, and his throat was parched.

"There now, sir," came a woman's gentle voice, "Try not to strain yourself. You've been through an ordeal, and you need to recover your strength. It's a miracle you haven't slipped into a coma."

He finally managed to focus his eyes, and the blurry form hovering over him became clearer. She was young—around his age. She had brown hair fashioned into a bob and her skin was lightly tanned and freckled. Her eyes were of a matching brown color to her hair, and her expression on him was gentle.

"Where...am I?" Levi whispered, unable to force his voice through his dry pipes.

"You're safe in my home," she answered. She adjusted the fluid bag attached to the IV in Levi's arm. "Do you remember, sir? I found you collapsed on my doorstep, and I dragged you inside. I was going to call an ambulance, but you woke up and told me not to. You said it was too dangerous for you to get admitted to a civilian hospital."

Levi frowned, unable to piece together those details. He had a vague recollection of some of it, but nothing solid. "So you've kept me here? I didn't ask you to contact any of my associates?"

"You didn't have a phone," she explained, "or any identification. I would have been happy to call someone for you, but you couldn't remember any contacts to give me, and you've been drifting in and out of consciousness the whole time. I'm a nurse, Levi. It _is_ Levi, isn't it? I've been caring for you recover enough to go, or at least remember a number you can call."

He remembered the name he thought he heard her give to him, even as he wondered when he might have given her his. "Susan, right?"

She nodded. "Yes sir. I think this is the most we've talked since you came here. That's a good sign."

"And how did you figure out my name if I had no ID or phone on me? Did I give it to you at some point?"

She shook her head. "No. I noticed your wedding band when I took it off to bathe you. There was an inscription inside of it. I thought you must be Levi, because that name came first. Was I wrong?"

"Bathe me?" he repeated, and he ran his hands over his body under the sheets. He was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms, but nothing more. With some relief, he located his wedding ring where it was supposed to be, and he absently turned it around on his finger. "You're not wrong but...when exactly did you bathe me?"

"Three times, so far," she supplied readily. "Don't worry, Mr. Levi. I kept it professional, and I only took off your underwear when it was obvious they were going to need a wash. I'm used to giving patients sponge baths."

While the notion of a strange woman bathing his naked body didn't sit well with him, Levi thought practically about it, and he considered how ripe could be right now if not for her attentions. "How long have I been here?"

"A little over a week," answered Susan. "How much can you remember? Do you remember where you live? Where you work? What year it is?"

Yes, he could remember all of that, and he answered her questions without hesitation. "The only thing I don't remember is coming here or what's been happening to me since then. You alone in this place, or what?"

"Yes, I live alone." She shrugged. "My salary is good enough for me to afford this little house."

"I see. And where is this little house? What part of the city is it in?"

"The far east side," she revealed. "On Sandy Lane."

Levi rubbed his forehead, wincing at the throb beneath the damp cloth. It was hard to think clearly and pull up a mental map, but it didn't seem like he was very far from where he'd blacked out initially. "So what all have you done to me, Susan? What condition was I in when you found me?"

"You had a nasty concussion. I'll be honest with you, Levi, there were a lot of times I came close to calling the hospital despite your request that I don't. Head injuries are nothing to take lightly, and if anything had happened to you while under my care, I could have faced criminal charges. My career would be ruined, if nothing else."

"Good thing nothing happened to me, then," he grunted, and he slowly sat up in the bed, panting softly. The rag fell away from his forehead, and he ignored her attempts to push him back down. "Does anyone know I'm here?"

"No." Susan reached for a pitcher of water, and she filled a glass with it for him. "The way you were talking sounded a little wild, but somehow I found myself believing you when you said you work for the government and could have enemies looking for you. It's your mannerisms, I think...the look in your eyes. Your clothing also seemed...appropriate for that kind of work, though I would have thought a government agent would carry some sort of firearm. There was a thigh holster, but no gun."

Levi's brows pinched. "Bastards must have nabbed it with my phone and wallet when they brought me down." It was humbling to know someone had gotten the jump on him for the first time since Eren got kidnapped by the BRS. Levi harshly reminded himself that he wasn't a god, despite some people's perception of his abilities. It could have happened to anyone, and he should take it as a lesson to learn from.

"What agency do you work for, if you don't mind me asking?"

Levi's gaze snapped to the woman sitting on the stool at the side of his narrow bed, and his eyes narrowed as he had a sip of the cool water. "You're better off not knowing, kiddo. So what's my prognosis? Think I'm fit enough to get out of here, or what?"

"Well, you're still a bit weak and dehydrated," she stated hesitantly. "I don't have a car to drive you anywhere."

"I'll cab it." Levi shrugged, mentally reviewing his home address and the address of his headquarters. He should probably go to HQ first and report what happened so they stop the search for him, but he wasn't sure he could give a very accurate account of where he'd been, right now. He needed rest in his own bed, with his husband and his dogs at his side.

"Shit, I've got no wallet," he remembered with a scowl of annoyance. "No money."

"I can cover the cab for you," offered Susan generously. "I've washed your clothes, too. The only thing I ask is that you try to eat a little something before you go, Levi. I've only been able to feed you a few spoonfuls of oatmeal and broth during the times you were conscious, and you passed out after only a few bites. Your body needs more nutrients than a glucose bag can provide."

Levi almost said that he could eat when he got home, but a dizzy spell struck him at that moment, and he was forced to lie back down. He wanted to get home to Eren right away, but if the culprit or culprits that accosted him happened to be searching for him or watching this side of town, he didn't want to be helpless as a kitten.

"All right, I'll try to eat something. I'd like to leave by nightfall, though."

* * *

Susan treated Levi to a small bowl of chicken noodle soup to get him started, and when he managed to keep that down, she agreed that he was strong enough to go home. "I can only imagine how worried your loved ones must be right now," she sighed, keeping her back to him as the agent dressed in the fresh clothes he'd originally shown up wearing.

"Okay, I'm decent."

Susan turned around to regard him, her eyes sweeping him up and down, taking in the black pants, the tight black crew shirt and the thigh sheaths and holsters around his upper legs. Levi slipped his long jacket on over it, smoothing out the wrinkles.

"You clean up nicely," complimented Susan. "Sorry about your things getting pinched."

Levi shrugged. "My people have probably already found it all by now, except maybe the gun. That's probably on the black market somewhere."

"Were you...on a mission when this happened?"

His eyes went opaque and hooded. "Maybe. Have you called the cab?"

She nodded. "Yes, they're on their way." Susan reached into her purse to produce some currency. "I'm not sure how much you need, since you won't tell me where you need them to drop you off."

Levi counted out the bills, and he handed some back to her. "This ought to be enough. Thanks."

She replaced the returned currency, and she looked at him with a little sigh. "Thank you for not being some psycho. Maybe you aren't who you say you are, but at least you didn't try to attack me."

He smirked without humor. "You got lucky. It took some stones for you to keep me in your home instead of calling the emergency hotline like most people would have done. Thanks. I'll send you a check in the mail for the cab fair when I get everything straightened out."

She shrugged. "It's no big deal. I hope everything goes over smoothly for you, sir. Be safe."

She walked him down the stairs and to the front door, mindful of his balance and ready to support him if Levi appeared to be losing it. He didn't. His constitution was obviously stronger than most. He made it to the door, cast one backward glance at her and he waved goodbye. The cab was already outside at the curb.

Susan waved back with a smile, and she walked to the door and watched as her attractive, mysterious patient got into the cab and drove away. He seemed too short to be a government agent, but as she'd noted; his mannerisms told a different tale—as did that toned build of his. Susan smirked, and she pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket.

"It takes all kinds, I guess," she mumbled to herself.

She brought the phone to her ear after selecting a contact, and when the other line picked up, she said two simple words.

"He's gone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recaps:
> 
> Hange: "Levi's missing? Levi's gone? What the hell have I missed?"
> 
> Eren: *gross sobbing in the corner*
> 
> Jean: "We're still looking into that."
> 
> Hange: "Well screw this! I'm going after him!" *dons superhero latex with a big "H" on the chest and a yellow cape. "From this day forward, I'm "Super Zoë! What do you think, Moblit?"
> 
> Moblit: "I liked it better without the cape and the big 'H'."
> 
> Hange: "Oh, fuck you."
> 
> Eren: "You guys are kind of stepping on the angst here."
> 
> Hange: "Whoops...sorry."
> 
> Eren: "Just do what you do best, please. Nobody knows where to even look, and my bae might be getting taken advantage of by someone besides me right now!"
> 
> *Everyone looks at Eren*
> 
> Eren: "Uh, it's consensual advantage when we do it. You know...roleplay."
> 
> Hange: "So tell us more about this 'roleplay', Eren."
> 
> Erwin: "Please don't."


	2. Chapter 2

Eren could barely make it through band practice. While they'd agreed not to play anymore live gigs or schedule more tours until they either found Levi or confirmed his death, they did meet up three times per week to practice and to write new songs together. Their singer, unfortunately, was getting more and more distracted with each passing day. Jean bitched him out when the only Lyrics Eren could come up with were about pining and loss.

"Shit, Eren...do you want to depress the hell out of our listeners or gain more fans? They listen to us because they want to rock, not hear a soap opera every time you open your big mouth."

"Jean, that's enough," warned Mikasa when she saw Eren put his head in his hands. Seated on the couch across from her friend's, she reached out to pat Eren on the knee. "We don't need to focus on writing new songs right now, Eren. You've got too much going on, and it's understandable for you not to be in the right mindset. Let's just focus on improving the ones we've already got."

Eren nodded, saying nothing. Connie watched him with a little frown, twirling a drumstick absently between his fingers. "You need to go home, Eren? Call it an early night?"

Armin agreed with the idea. "Yes, take a couple of days to rest and come back fresh for the next practice. You're worn out, Eren."

"I don't need to be babied," mumbled the singer, but when he lifted his head to look at them, there was a threat of tears sparkling in his eyes. "This won't get any better until I have Levi back home, okay? At least I'm still doing something and not just moping around in my boxers all day, right?"

"Yeah, but you're sucking all the joy out of the room," Connie said, spreading his hands. "I'm playing like I've got bricks strapped to my hands, and Mikasa's timing is pretty off. Your depression is contagious, man."

Armin sat down next to Eren, and he put a friendly arm around him. "They're right, Eren. We know you can't help it, but you're forcing yourself to be here and your voice is a bit...well, flat. Every set is declining in quality. I think you should take a break from work and just do things that you enjoy; something to take your mind off things for a while."

"Can't think of anything that would take my mind off this," admitted Eren softly. He stared at the floor, and his brows drew down in an angry glare. "All I can think of is what I want to do to the people that took Levi. Whoever did this is going to pay."

"Well, you're chomping at the bit over something you can't do anything about," reasoned Armin. "I understand how you must feel, but we still have no idea who could be involved in the captain's disappearance. Making yourself sick over it isn't going to help Levi, okay? Just try to be positive, and keep him in your thoughts. For now, I think we should call it a night and get you home."

Eren sighed, his anger bleeding from him in the face of his emotional exhaustion. He nodded. "Okay. I guess that makes sense."

* * *

Eren's feet were dragging when he made it through the front door of his home. He expected the dogs to come and greet him immediately, but for once, they didn't. Tired though he was, that bothered him, and he called out for them.

"Luka! Lena! I'm home!"

He heard a whining bark from the kitchen, and he frowned. That sounded like a greeting bark. Why wasn't Luka coming to him? Thoughts of his dogs being injured somehow sprang to mind, and Eren rushed through the house and under the archway leading into the kitchen to check on them. He came up short, his eyes widening at the sight before him. There was Levi, getting something out of the fridge. He was looking paler than usual, but otherwise unharmed. He drank thirstily from a bottle of sports drink as his husband stood stock-still and watched him.

Finally, Eren found his tongue. " _LEVIIII_!"

The agent turned around just as Eren pounced on him, grabbing him up in a tight embrace and lifting his feet off the floor. The sports drink tumbled to the tiles with a pop and a splash, and Levi wrapped his arms around the singer's neck. He didn't say anything; he just kissed Eren back as the younger man's mouth closed in on his fervently. Trying to convince himself that this wasn't just a dream or an illusion painted by his desperate longing, Eren crushed his mouth against Levi's and he pressed him up against the refrigerator door. He heard the dogs bark happily, but this time, he didn't feel awkward over kissing his husband in front of them.

When Eren was finally satisfied that it was really his spouse in his arms, he released his lips to catch his breath, and he eased him back down to the floor. He cupped his face, and then he started running his hands all over him to be sure he was in one piece.

"Where have you been? What happened to you? Did you go on some super secret mission that not even Erwin knew about, or was he keeping it from us? He kept it from us, didn't he? That bastard, he had no right!"

"Eren, calm down," advised Levi softly. "Erwin had nothing to do with this, so you can stop calling for his beheading."

Eren swallowed, forcing himself to calm. "Then what happened?" He noticed Levi wince when he stroked his hair and touched the back of his head. "What's that? Stitches?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah. It's a long story."

Eren frowned at him, seeing the fatigue lining his gray eyes. "Come and sit down in the den. Are you hurting? Do you need some aspirin or something?"

"That might be nice," sighed Levi. He started to bend over to clean up the mess from the spilled sports drink, but Eren stopped him.

"Let me take care of that, Levi. I don't know where you've been for the past two weeks, but you've obviously been through a lot." It was difficult for Eren to hold back all of the questions burning in his mind. He wanted to understand where his husband had been, and how he'd just miraculously appeared in their kitchen without even having contacted him. He might not have had his phone, but Eren would have thought he'd have tried to find a pay phone or borrowed someone else's phone to at least call him.

Levi tiredly left the kitchen to do as Eren suggested, and the singer quickly mopped up the mess, got a fresh drink out of the fridge for his spouse and then got the aspirin out of the medicine cabinet in the main bathroom. He carried the items to Levi, who was reclining on the couch with the dogs on either side of him. Eren made Luka scoot over for him so that he could get into the mix, and he handed the drink to Levi. He watched him closely as the agent took the pain tablets and swallowed them down.

"I don't want to bum-rush you with a billion questions," Eren said softly, "but what happened? How did you end up with stitches on the base of your scalp?"

Eren impulsively cupped Levi's face to turn his head away, so that he could examine the sutures he'd felt before. There were only three of them, just under the shaved part of Levi's undercut. Whoever put them in did a good job of it. It didn't look like it was going to leave a scar.

"I was on an assignment to keep an eye on a guy that put in for early retirement from the UFI," Levi explained after taking a couple of swallows. He bowed his head and sighed as Eren gently caressed the back of his head, taking care not to touch the tender spot where the stitches were. "We've got to be careful about leaks, and someone accused this guy of spilling classified information to certain parties. The last thing I remember clearly before finally coming back to my senses and waking up was something hitting me in the back of the head."

"So you've been in the hospital?" reasoned Eren, gazing at Levi with open worry. "But we checked everywhere! Did you use some kind of alias nobody else knew about?"

"No, I didn't end up in the hospital," corrected Levi. "I ended up at some nurse's house. She said I collapsed at her door. I don't remember it, but apparently she said I was adamant about not going to the hospital, so she took care of me until I recovered enough to leave."

"That's weird," Eren said, scratching his chin. "If she's a licensed nurse, isn't she under some kind of oath to get the hospital involved?"

"One would think." Levi shrugged, and then he groaned softly at the motion. "Damn, it feels like I've got an old man's joints. Everything's sore."

Eren sighed, and he rubbed the smaller man's shoulders in an attempt to sooth his aches. "We should get you medical attention, Levi. I understand why you'd resist going to a civilian hospital, but we should at least take you to the UFI infirmary to get checked out. You don't remember _anything_ that happened between getting hit on the head and waking up at this nurse's house?"

"No, just weird flashes, like parts of a dream. I can't be sure what was real and what was just imagined."

"What was this nurse's name?" persisted Eren.

"Ah..." Levi frowned, taking another sip of his drink. "Susan. That was her name."

"What did she look like? Where does she live?"

Levi set his drink down, and he started rubbing his temples. "I don't fucking know. Give me a chance to pull my thoughts together, Jaeger. I've only been awake for a day." Something seemed to occur to him then, and he turned to look at the other man. "Wait, you said I was gone for two weeks."

Eren nodded. "Actually two weeks and a day, now."

Levi lowered his gaze in thought. "She said I was only there with her for a little over a week."

"Well, maybe she was just giving you a basic estimate." Eren stroked the top of Levi's hair, noting that it was a bit oily. He probably hadn't had it properly washed while he was in this mystery woman's care. "Did she give you a last name?"

"I don't think so." Levi seemed quite troubled. "Should have been one of the first things I asked her. I was just so fucking disoriented. I couldn't even recall any phone numbers to try, and both my phone and wallet were missing, along with my gun."

"They found your phone," Eren informed him. He started to tell Levi about the evidence that someone might have used a tranquilizer gun on him, but he let that slide for now. Levi was obviously trying to piece everything together, and he was tired and sick. "Your wallet may have turned up, too. Don't worry about that right now, okay? I'm just glad you're home safe. We can work out what happened later, after you've had Hange or another UFI medic look you over."

He put an arm around his spouse, and he drew him close. Levi leaned to him and rested his cheek on Eren's shoulder with a sigh; testament that he was indeed exhausted.

* * *

Levi wouldn't allow anyone except for Hange and Moblit to examine him. He was in a quiet state of paranoia, though he'd always been picky about his doctors. While they took blood samples, gave him a checkup and examined the injury in the back of his scalp, Erwin asked questions. Eren stood quietly supportive in the background, watching diligently over his husband with a look that said he'd have something to say about it if anyone crossed a line. Partway through, Levi asked him to go and get him some water, and Eren left the room.

"That's all the information I can give you," Levi finished. "You said Mike investigated and he doesn't think the guy I was monitoring leaked anything?"

"All evidence says otherwise," answered the director with a nod. His blue eyes were faintly concerned on Levi. "Do you know where this woman lived? Could you take me there, when you're feeling up for it? We need to question her if we can, Levi. She may have information that could clear some of this up."

"Yeah." Levi reached into his pocket for the scrap of paper he'd placed there before leaving the nurse's home. "I've got the address here."

He started to sway on the examination table, and Hange steadied him with a frown. "Erwin, I don't think Levi should be out and about, right now. Maybe you could send someone to that address to talk to this lady while the grump here rests up. Head trauma isn't something we should take lightly, no matter how tough the recipient is."

Erwin had started to impulsively reach out to Levi as well, but he refrained. "I understand. I'm just eager to make sense of this. It concerns me that he recalls so little of what happened to him."

"That worries me too," sighed Hange. "It could be related to his head injury, in which case, he might recollect more as he recovers. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Levi was rubbing his temples and wincing at the pounding in his skull.

"Well, maybe you got roofied," suggested Hange with a shrug.

Erwin turned an alarmed look to Levi, and it was clear that some of his old feelings resurfaced against his will. "Is that possible? Levi, did you stop somewhere for a drink? Were you ever in any situation that might have presented the opportunity for someone to drug you?"

"I could examine him for signs of...er...violation," Moblit offered, and he cringed when Levi shot him a scathing look that said he'd cut his hand off if he even tried.

"Are you all idiots?" snapped Levi. "I was on a case, and I don't stop for cocktails in the middle of trailing a person of interest. I wasn't roofied, and even if that crackbrained scenario could have happened, I'd have woken up somewhere the next day. I was gone for two weeks, according to you guys."

"Well, if they really enjoyed you, they might have kept you drugged," persisted Hange. "Maybe this alleged nurse did a little more than doctor you, Levi."

"I...was...not...molested," gritted out the agent through clenched teeth, fast losing patience with their disturbing theories.

Unfortunately, Eren came into the examination room at that moment with the bottle of water Levi had requested he get from the vending machine. He heard Levi's final statement, and he stared at his husband owlishly, with an increasingly distressed look on his suddenly pale face.

"Oh fuck, I was even worrying something like that might have happened, too," whined Eren. He rushed to Levi, looking like he was torn between rage and tears. "Captain, if someone did that to you, I'll rip their head off!"

"Eren, calm down," ordered Levi, forcing his voice to a softer tone. It hardened again as he glared at Hange, Erwin and Moblit. "See what you assholes did with your stupid ideas?"

"We're just trying to figure out what happened to you by process of elimination," defended Erwin, though he did look faintly embarrassed over his own part in the supposition. "We're worried about you."

"And I appreciate that, but don't worry about me _that_ way, and don't get Eren wound up. I'm sure I'd know it if I'd been violated, and the lady that took care of me took my temperature orally, so not even a thermometer went up my ass. Drop the rape theories."

He turned to Eren while the three of them fell into contrite silence, and Levi's gaze softened on his spouse. "Look, Hange was probably closer to the truth when she said my head injury might have scrambled my memory and sense of time. People get amnesia all the time, right? This is probably just a milder form of that."

Eren visibly tried to calm himself, and he took a deep breath, nodding. "All right. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions like that. It's just...you have no idea the awful things that went through my head while you were missing, Levi. I didn't know if you were in a ditch somewhere, or if you'd been caught by spies, killed, stuck in some cell getting tortured or what."

"Let's just focus on what we know, kid," insisted Levi. "I got injured, a lady took care of me and now I'm home safe. If Hange's right about my memory clearing up as my head heals, we'll have the missing details later. Just focus on the moment, for now."

"Right," agreed Eren, biting his lip. "You're safe and with me now, and that's the most important thing. Here. Your water."

"Thanks." Levi took the bottled water from the singer, and he watched Eren as he unscrewed the cap. Despite his words, Eren was still looking at him with that worried expression. Levi felt vaguely guilty for thinking it was cute. Every time Eren gave him those puppy eyes, Levi's iron stoicism failed him. Damn the brat for being so endearing, anyway.

"We should run some scans," suggested Hange, "and take some x-rays too. I want to make sure there's nothing we could be missing that we can't detect through standard examination."

Levi took a few swallows of his water, and he sighed. "How long is this gonna take, shitty-glasses?"

"Probably a couple of hours, though we'll try to make it quick." Hange took one of Levi's wrists, and she examined his arm with a little frown. "These needle marks have me concerned."

Levi looked down at his forearm, puzzled. "What needle marks? I don't see anything."

Hange looked at Moblit. Moblit looked back at her, and then at Levi. He pointed at the bend in Levi's arm, the upper side of his elbow. "Captain, there are quite a few of them right there. You haven't noticed them?"

Eren leaned in closer to his spouse. "I've seen them too. It's one of the reasons I wanted you to get checked out right away, Levi. Look at your arms. If I didn't know better, I'd think you had fresh track marks."

Levi stared at all three of them, and then he held out both arms and stared down at them. He could see the faint bruising and the marks from where Susan said she put IV's in to give him fluids when he was out, but nothing like what they were describing. If this was some kind of joke Hange was pulling, she was doing a fine job of it, pulling both Moblit and Eren into it on the fly like this. Levi looked over at Erwin, feeling more unsettled than he cared to admit. The tall blond was also gazing at him with confused worry on his handsome features.

"Oi, Erwin, are they pulling something on me or what?"

Erwin stepped closer, and he studied Levi's arms briefly before meeting his eyes again. He shook his head. "Nobody's exaggerating, Levi. You have several needle marks on both arms that look no more than a day or two old. I can also see older marks. Is your vision blurry? Is your head injury perhaps impairing your sight?"

Levi shook his head slowly, and even that small movement made the room seem to spin briefly. "I don't know what you're all talking about. This is bullshit."

"Erwin, step outside with me for a moment," prompted Hange. "Moblit, stay in here with Levi and Eren while I speak with the commander."

Old habits still hadn't died quite yet, though "commander" wasn't the correct pronoun for Erwin's present official rank. Hange, along with everyone else that had regained their memories of their past lives, still fell back on calling Erwin and Levi by their former rank titles. Sometimes Moblit slipped up in front of people and referred to Hange as "Section Commander", too.

Erwin obligingly stepped outside the examination room and into the hallway with Hange, leaving the other three alone together in the room. Levi told himself that this was nothing to worry about. His vision _was_ acting a little odd, and he was tired and light-headed. Surely he would see more clearly with some rest.

* * *

"As Levi's doctor and his friend, I'm recommending that you keep a close eye on him."

Erwin was hardly surprised by Hange's statement. "I agree. I'm going to get the address for this 'Susan' person that took care of him and investigate myself. I'll question this woman and get some answers, and I'll make sure Levi gets as much time off as he needs to recover."

"I can't help but get the feeling that something's short-circuiting," muttered Hange thoughtfully, frowning. She took off her glasses and polished the lenses with a cloth she kept in her lab coat pocket. "Levi isn't acting quite like himself."

"He seems more or less himself to me," objected Erwin. "Yes, he's in a state of mild confusion, but he's just as surly as he ever was."

"I don't mean personality-wise," explained Hange. She put her glasses back on, and she met Erwin's gaze. "I mean his reactions. Did you see how jumpy he was when we were examining him? Levi is usually cool as a cucumber during physicals and checkups; he always has been. That hasn't been the case today. He actually drew back on Moblit like he was about to hit him when Moblit first went to lift Levi's shirt to listen to his heartbeat and respiration. The stethoscope hadn't even touched him yet, so I don't think we can blame it on reaction to cold contact with his skin."

Erwin frowned. "Is that why you suggested he might have been...violated?"

Hange sighed. "Partly. Levi doesn't generally like being touched a lot by other people—not counting Eren or you when the two of you were involved. He puts up with it during medical examinations, though...stays calm, doesn't twitch, does what he's asked. This was different. Not only did he recoil on Moblit, but he actually flinched a couple of times when I was doing some of the routine things involving touching. I swear for a moment, he almost looked panicked when I checked his lymph nodes and glands for swelling."

Erwin's brows drew together with thought and concern that he couldn't hide. "And those reactions might be something you would expect of a sexual assault victim. I can see your logic in bringing that possibility up. Are you going to try and examine him for signs of that, after all?"

Hange shook her head. "No. He's said he wasn't violated, and I trust him to know his own body to tell the difference if he had been. Something's definitely strange though. It seems more psychological than physical to me, given that he says he doesn't see those other needle marks on his arms."

"Haven't you said that head injuries can cause temporary behavioral changes?"

She nodded. "Yes, and the mind can sometimes trick the eyes into seeing things that aren't there, or the opposite. We'll finish our testing, and if nothing is found indicating otherwise, we'll just have to assume for now that it's caused by brain swelling."

* * *

Levi put up with all of the prodding and scanning, though as Hange said, he wasn't as stoic as he normally would have been. When it was finally over, Levi got dressed in his regular clothes and Hange sent them on their way. She promised to call as soon as she and Moblit could review all of the results and come up with a more certain prognosis.

Eren drove his spouse home, cooked a passable dinner of beef tips and rice, and watched over him like a hawk. They didn't watch television that night because Levi said the flickering screen light gave him a headache, so Eren played a recording of the last set he'd done with his band for Levi to listen to. He prepared a cup of chamomile tea for Levi before bed, as Hange didn't want to distribute any medication for sleep until she had a better idea of what was going on. It seemed to help Levi relax, and he slept a bit longer than usual.

The next morning, Hange called them up to tell them she had good news. Levi did have some minor swelling, but she was confident that it would go down before long and Levi should be back to his usual self in no time. She didn't find anything of note in the scans or tests, save for some vitamin deficiencies that could be addressed with over the counter products. She gave them a list of what they should shop for, told them to keep her updated and let her know if any symptoms worsened or new ones appeared, and then let them go.

Levi did seem better that day, and by the next, his dizzy spells faded. He seemed to be on the mend, and Eren tried to put aside his lingering concern over the needle marks and the unanswered questions, for now. He was just thankful to have his hubby back.

* * *

Meanwhile, the UFI director was doing his part in unraveling the mystery of Levi's disappearance. As he'd said he would, Erwin Smith went to the address given to him by Levi, intending to question the woman alleged to have taken care of him. Erwin checked the address of the location again, frowning. According to the information Levi had given him, he was at the right place. The building fit the description Levi had given him from memory; an old, shotgun style house on a street with few residential houses still standing.

However, there was no answer at the paint-chipped, weathered door when he knocked on it. There were no curtains drawn on any of the barred windows, so Erwin peeked into the nearest one, curving his hands around his face to block out the light and see inside more clearly. The place looked empty. He could see no furniture inside, no sign that anyone lived there. Erwin checked around the yard, which looked like it could use a mow, but wasn't overgrown. He went around back through the rusty gate, and the only thing he found back there was an empty shed.

Maybe Levi got the street or house number wrong. It seemed like a perfectly logical possibility. Erwin curbed his frustration, came back out to the front of the house and climbed up the steps to the porch again. He checked the mailbox just in case, but he found nothing in it. There were no signs in the yard indicating that the house was for sale or condemned for demolishment, so if the woman Levi described _had_ been here, then she must have moved out within the past few days.

Deciding to check the other houses on the street, Erwin started going from door to door. He showed people his agency badge when they answered the bell or his knocks, asking them if they or anyone in their house answered to the name of Susan. When they denied it, he asked if they knew any neighbors matching the description of Levi's mystery benefactor, and he came up empty-handed. He moved on from there to the businesses lining the street, either built in place of houses that got torn down, or converted from a home into a business.

By the time he finished investigating Sandy Lane, Erwin decided that Levi must have gotten the wrong street. Unwilling to give up, the director used his map application on his phone to look up all streets, avenues, boulevards and otherwise with the name "Sandy" in them, hoping to find a different Sandy Lane to investigate.

There were five listings on this side of town alone. This was turning out to be a more complicated endeavor than expected.

* * *

"Eren, stop treating me like an invalid," snapped Levi when the singer tried to help him prepare their evening dinner. "I'm fine. I haven't had any dizzy spells today, my head hardly hurts anymore, and the initial weakness I felt is going away. Don't give me that look either, brat."

Eren wasn't aware that he was giving his spouse a "Look", but apparently he had a special one just for Levi that he wasn't even consciously aware of. He sighed, and he went over to the counter island bar to pull up a stool. Propping his elbows on the surface, he watched Levi work. He did enjoy watching the man doing domestics, silly as that might sound to some people. Levi's culinary skills just kept getting better, and the only skill Eren had to match was his drink mixing.

He especially loved it when Levi got "geared up" to clean. That hadn't changed since the previous life, and the captain still used the same basic attire he'd used in the past. A dust scarf over the hair, one over the mouth and nose, an apron and gloves. Levi said it worked just as well now as it ever did then, and Eren never disputed that. Cleaning was another thing Eren did pretty well, though not as swiftly or pristinely as Levi.

As he watched his husband work over the stove, Eren cast his mind back to the days of the titans, thinking of all the times he and the captain had swept, dusted, mopped and scrubbed the Scout's keep from attic to basement together. It was always a lengthy, tiring process that took all day to complete, but they'd always had the other scouts on the premises to do their share and speed it up. The added bonus of seeing his captain decked out in his cleaning attire also made it more bearable. Levi was so cute in that getup.

"What are you grinning at me like that for?" Levi demanded, having turned around to collect a spice from the rack and noticed Eren's dreamy, goofy smile on him.

Eren gave himself a mental nudge. "I was just thinking of old times. You still rock those cleaning scarves, Captain."

"Tch. First you act like a mother hen, and then you get moon-eyed on me." Levi smirked at him, shaking his head. "Go let the dogs in and feed them, Eren. Dinner will be ready soon."

Eren got up and went to the back sliding door, where Luka and Lena were already waiting to come in. The Shepard barked impatiently and pawed at the glass when he saw one of his "parents" coming.

"Down, Luka," chided Eren, sliding the door open.

He stood aside to let them in, and they followed him into the kitchen to where their designated eating area. Eren got the clean dog bowls waiting in the dish drainer by the sink, and he placed them on the counter island. He selected a can of high protein dog food from the pet pantry where they kept all the animals' food, treats, medicine and grooming supplies, and then he scooped up a serving of kibble. He divided the kibble evenly between the two bowls, and then he opened the can and did the same with that. Mixing the dry food with the wet and a little bit of water, Eren placed the bowls in the bowl stands.

Lena and Luka knew which bowls were theirs, and Eren expected the Doberman and Shepard to start digging in immediately. Instead, he straightened up to find them both standing in the middle of the kitchen between him and Levi, looking oddly tense.

Confused by the behavior, Eren looked to his husband. Levi was staring at him with a peculiar, calculating look on his face. The agent was leaning back casually against the counter in a non-threatening manner, but for some reason, the dogs were regarding him the way Eren had seen them regard strangers when they weren't sure of their intentions.

That was more troubling to Eren than the way Levi was looking at him. He'd seen his partner stare at him and others like that when assessing something about them. The timing was a little creepy, but it wasn't like Levi had advanced on him aggressively.

"Did I give them the wrong canned food or something?" asked the singer.

Levi tilted his head, and his piercing gray eyes were opaque. "Just looking at you."

Luka's ears went flat, and he spread his paws almost as if preparing to attack. Lena's ears also went back, and she whined as if upset or confused.

"Uh, okay." Unsettled, Eren snapped his fingers and called the dogs. Levi hadn't been exactly watching him with a lover's eyes. He almost looked like he'd been sizing him up for a sparring match or something, but even that shouldn't have bothered the dogs because by now, they were used to seeing the two of them spar or wrestle playfully together. Maybe he was misreading them. Maybe they sensed something that had them uneasy. There could be a micro tremor building up that the dogs were picking up on. They'd had one last year, and both Luka and Lena had run outside right before it happened.

When Eren looked at his spouse again, Levi was frowning as if trying to remember something. The smaller man glanced back at the stovetop, looked at the pots heating on it, and then clicked his tongue and went to get more spices out of the rack. Lena and Luka settled down, and it was like the odd moment had never happened.

But it had, and that bothered Eren more than he cared to admit. He wished he could put his finger on just what had happened.

* * *

That night, another strange thing happened. Eren was sound asleep in the bed with Levi, but a sensual touch stirred him. He came out of his dreams slowly, realizing the lips he felt on his neck were of the material, rather than of the imagination. He sighed with appreciation, turning his head to give better access and running his hands over his companion's strong, bare shoulders. The hand stroking over his abs glided lower, and Eren smiled and cracked his eyes open.

It was late, but he didn't mind getting some surprise attention from Levi. Usually it was Eren that initiated "wake up" sex, either after coming home from a late practice set or in the rare instances where he woke up before Levi.

"Mmm, hi," murmured Eren to his spouse. He combed his fingers through Levi's soft, dark hair. "What brought this on?"

The other man lifted up, his eyes glittering in the moonlight as he stared down at him. "You're my husband, right?"

Confused by the response, Eren frowned a little. He couldn't tell if that was just Levi speech or a real question. "Well, yeah. For over a year, now. Levi, is everything okay?"

"Fine." The agent's hand crept further down, palming Eren's naked package under the sheets. "Nice."

"T-thanks," gasped Eren. Something was off about this. It was like he didn't know this man, and yet it was Levi without a doubt. "Levi, wait..."

"What's the problem?" demanded Levi. "Don't you want to fuck me?"

Nervous without fully understanding why, Eren fell back on humor as a defense mechanism. "Pfft, is that a trick question? You know I _always_ want to fuck you, gorgeous. You even complain that I don't let you rest enough when I've just got back from a tour and can't keep my hands off you."

"Then why the hesitation?" pressed Levi. He lowered his mouth to Eren's, and he kissed him aggressively, tongue thrusting past the taller man's lips to wrestle with his.

"Mmph...hold on," sputtered Eren. He grabbed Levi around the waist, lifted up and rolled over with him, pinning him down to stare at him. "Levi, you've been hurt, and you're acting funny. I'm worried."

Levi suddenly frowned, blinked and looked up at him. His expression softened, and he yawned and rolled his eyes. "All right, brat. If you want to do it that bad, have your way. You've gotta let me get some sleep after that, though."

Eren's jaw fell open. Levi had just jumped _him_ , not the other way around! But looking at his spouse's face, he could see now that Levi's eyes had a different look in them than before.

"Levi, you were the one that woke _me_ up," informed the singer. "I just rolled you over a second ago after you started feeling me up."

Levi's brows pinched. "What?"

That was it. Eren thought he'd figured it out. "I promise, I woke up to you kissing me and groping me. I thought you were awake, but maybe you were talking in your sleep?"

Levi seemed quietly troubled. "Maybe. That's not usually my thing, though. Are you sure you didn't just dream I'd jumped you and woke up thinking you'd cash in on it?"

Eren sighed. So Levi thought he was dreaming, and he was pretty damned sure Levi had been...whatever it was called when people had sex in their sleep without consciously realizing it. He didn't know what the clinical term for it was, if it was even a thing. That made him worry that perhaps the times he'd eased Levi out of sleep with some loving, the captain hadn't really been as awake and aware as Eren thought.

"I don't think so," Eren said, feeling a tad uncertain now. Maybe he _had_ just been dreaming at first, or at least half-asleep. Maybe Levi hadn't been fooling around or saying any of that stuff, and Eren just wigged out and woke up fully after he flipped him.

"I think we're both just tired," suggested Eren at last.

He didn't want to get into an argument with Levi over it, especially if he was wrong. Now he wasn't so sure what had happened. Maybe it wasn't Levi that was acting strange at all. Maybe it was Eren being paranoid and overly concerned, imaging things that weren't there. That could account for the dogs acting strange at dinnertime. Animals picked up on their humans' emotions. This could all be in his head, and if that was the case he wasn't doing Levi any favors.

"Let's just go to sleep," sighed Eren. He kissed Levi softly. "Sorry, Captain."

Levi didn't say anything to that, but he put an arm around Eren and he snuggled up to him, apparently content to let the matter drop.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recap:
> 
> Eren *singing*: "Gloom, despair, agony..."
> 
> Jean: "Shit, are we going Country with our music style? Eren we're supposed to be rocking, not shedding tears in our beers."
> 
> Connie: "You're like a joy vampire, Eren."
> 
> Mikasa: "Stop being insensitive pricks, you two. Eren's miserable enough right now."
> 
> Eren: "Guess I'll go home and pine by myself. *sniffle*"
> 
> Levi: "I should probably use the home phone to call my bae and let him know I'm back safe, but right now I just want a Gatorade."
> 
> Eren: "MY BAE!! YOU'RE HOME!"
> 
> Levi: "Yeah, it's a long—oof! Eren," *wheeze* "I can't breathe with you squeezing me so tight..."
> 
> Eren: *Blurts out a hundred questions without pausing for breath*
> 
> Levi: "I can't answer all that. You'll have to settle for an abridged explanation, for now."
> 
> Hange: "Hmm, the grump seems a little phobic about being physically examined. That's odd."
> 
> Erwin: "And he can't remember more than snatches of what happened to him."
> 
> Hange: "OMG, do you think he was roofied?"
> 
> Erwin: "...well now I do! Levi, did someone spike your drink and take advantage of your sweet little body?"
> 
> Hange: "Ahem, Erwin, you're falling back on bad habits again. So Levi, how about it? Do you think you got knocked out and butt-hammered?"
> 
> Levi: "For over a week? What are you two, idiots? Way to make this creepier than it already is. No, I didn't get roofied and molested. Shit...at least, I hope not..."
> 
> Eren: "Waahhh! I was afraid of that! Who took advantage of my Captain Sexy? I'll kill them...I'll kill them all!"
> 
> Levi: "This is sounding disturbingly like the Eren from the old days. Next thing you know, he'll start chewing on his hand." 
> 
> Erwin: *is lost* "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
> 
> Eren: "I'm not sure if the captain's going crazy or if I am..."


	3. Chapter 3

Eren tried to let it go and think more objectively, but his concern hadn't faded by the next day. He needed someone to talk to about it...someone that would listen and understand. His first thought was Armin, but he decided against that. He'd whined to his band members enough about Levi, lately. He didn't feel right talking to Erwin about it. The man was dating Eren's mother for one thing, and for another, some love still lingered between him and Levi. Discussing the captain's bedroom behavior with Erwin didn't sit well with Eren.

While Eren sat at his computer trying to figure out what to do, his phone rang. Glad for the distraction since he couldn't seem to focus on writing any music, Eren picked up without even checking to see who it was. "Hello?"

"Eren, hi! It's Hange. How are things?"

Of course! Hange! She'd already expressed some concern, and she was acting as Levi's doctor.

"Hi, Miss Hange." Eren looked around to be sure Levi wasn't nearby. He was apparently still in the shower. Just to be safe, Eren stepped outside in the back yard and closed the door behind him before saying more. "To be honest, I'm pretty worried, and I'm not sure what to do."

"Oh? Have new symptoms shown up?"

Eren scratched Luka and Lena's ears as they came up to him, respectively. He sat down on the outdoor ottoman in front of the armchair. "Kind of. Remember how you told me to watch for behavioral changes before we left the clinic?"

"Yes, I remember. Did something happen, Eren?"

He sighed. "Yeah, but I'm not sure if it's him or me."

"What do you mean?" Hange asked.

Eren's jaw clenched, and he thought of the encounter from the night before. "I think it would be better if I told you in person, with Levi present. We need a mediator...someone un-biased that we can trust to have both our best interests at heart. Do you have the time to come over?"

"Wow, it sounds serious. All right, Eren. Give me a couple of hours to wrap up what I'm working on right now, and I'll come right over."

He relaxed a little. "Thank you, Hange. I'm sorry to be a pain in the ass."

"You're my boys," Hange insisted, "and if something isn't right and I can help correct it, I will. You aren't a pain in the ass. I'll see you in a little while, Eren."

* * *

"What the hell is this about?" Levi demanded a couple of hours later when Hange came over. Eren had interrupted his cleaning to have a "talk" in the living room, but he hadn't explained what it was for. Levi got the distinct impression that he was being subjected to some sort of intervention, due to the uncommon somberness in Hange's expression and the look on Eren's face.

"I asked Hange to come over because of what happened yesterday," Eren told him.

Levi frowned, tilting his head a little. "What, that moment in the bedroom?"

"That, and earlier in the day at dinnertime," confirmed Eren. "Levi, I think something's not right. It could just be me being paranoid, but I wanted to get Hange's opinion, and I thought you should give your perspective on it too."

Levi looked between his spouse and their friend. "Okay, I don't get it. What happened at dinner? What am I missing, here?"

Eren sighed, and he reached down to scratch Luka's ears as the dog came up to his seat on the couch and nudged him. "I'm not really sure. You gave me a look that was kind of creepy, and then you acted like you just zoned out for a second."

Levi shook his head, at a loss. "I gave you a look? What was I doing?"

"You were making our dinner."

The agent spread his hands. "So what? Did it occur to you that I might have just been distracted thinking about ingredients or something? I don't remember giving you any nasty looks."

"Let's back up for a moment," suggested Hange when Levi's voice took on a frustrated edge. "Eren, why don't you tell us exactly what happened and why it bothered you? What were you and Levi talking about when he gave you this look, and what were you doing?"

"I was feeding the dogs. Levi was making dinner. I don't remember what we were saying, but when I finished filling the pet bowls, the dogs didn't go straight to them like they normally would. Instead, they were standing between me and Levi, and they were acting...well, almost like he was a stranger. Like they were trying to protect me. He was looking at me oddly, and then he just seemed to snap out of it and go for some spices."

They were both staring at Levi, and he imagined he could feel the judgment in their eyes. It made him feel like a sick man, and he didn't like it one bit. He had no recollection of stopping what he was doing to give Eren the evil eye.

"Levi, do you remember any of that?" pressed Hange.

He almost tried to make up some excuse, because he hated to admit he'd somehow lost several moments of time and behaved in a threatening manner toward Eren. That wasn't the way Levi handled things, though. It wasn't in his nature to stick his head in the sand and not deal with a problem.

"I remember cooking our meal and asking him to feed the mutts," said the agent at last. He looked at his dog as Lena came up to him, and he reached out for her slowly. She didn't seem wary of him now, whatever had happened in the kitchen last night. She laid her ears back as he patted her on the head. "I don't remember giving you any sort of look, Eren. I didn't notice the dogs acting weird, either. I still think I was just pausing to think about ingredients and you misread me."

Eren bit his lip. "I wondered that too, but then after we went to bed, you acted unusual again."

"How?" questioned Hange.

Levi flushed. He was both uncomfortable and annoyed, now. He didn't want to talk about their private love life with shitty-glasses, even if she was one of his oldest friends. Obviously this was important to Eren though, so Levi obliged her.

"Eren thinks I was trying to do him in his sleep."

"There's more to it than that," insisted Eren, blushing now as well. "It wasn't the fooling around that bothered me. It was what you said and how you were looking at me."

"And what did he say?" Hange crossed her legs and watched Eren curiously. At least she was behaving in a professional manner, and not making stupid puns.

Eren appeared to struggle for a moment, and Levi could see now that the singer was truly disturbed. Shit, had he been acting _that_ creepy? Eren was almost acting like he was scared of him.

"It's hard to describe," confessed Eren. "He was still Levi, but it was like he didn't really know me. It was like the last year hadn't happened and we never met in the previous life."

Levi frowned at him. "Bullshit."

"It's true!" insisted Eren. His beautiful, expressive green eyes were earnest on Levi, shifting to amber in his distress. "I wouldn't make up something like this. I woke up to you kissing me and feeling me up, and you asked if I was your husband. Then you acted like you've never seen me naked before, and when I asked you to slow down, you got offended and asked what my problem was."

The captain stared at Eren wordlessly, for once unable to disguise his shock.

"You seemed to snap out of it after I rolled you over," Eren went on. "That was when you said you thought I initiated it."

Levi lowered his gaze, struggling to remember through the fog. He recalled waking up to find himself being pinned by his husband, but nothing before that. He'd insisted that Eren had only dreamed it, not because Levi never initiated sex with him, but because once he was out, Levi tended to sleep heavily for the first hour or two.

"Has Levi ever walked or talked in his sleep before?" Hange asked, breaking into Levi's pondering with the question.

Eren shook his head. "Not that I've ever seen. If that's what happened, it was a first."

"Interesting." Hange started watching Levi like he was an interesting bug she'd placed under a microscope. "Well, it might explain what happened in the bedroom, but not in the kitchen. Levi, I think you'd better come in for an examination, just to be on the safe side."

"I feel fine, though," he protested.

"Behavioral changes are nothing to brush off," insisted Hange. "If your head injury is causing memory lapses and making you act in a way that makes even your dogs feel threatened, we need to get down to the bottom of it. It could be further swelling causing pressure on your brain, or it could be something psychological."

"Are you accusing me of being crazy?" demanded Levi. He looked at Eren with a frown. "You know this is gaslighting, right?"

"What's gaslighting?" asked the singer, openly confused.

"It's when you try to manipulate someone into questioning their fucking sanity," snapped Levi, "and that's exactly what you two are doing."

"I'm not gaslighting!" Now Eren was getting upset. "You've done the same thing to me, trying to convince me it's all in my head. That means you're gaslighting too!"

"Guys, nobody is gaslighting anyone," interrupted Hange before Levi could respond to Eren's observation. "If you want to see gaslighting, I ate a burrito before I came here and I can give you a more literal example."

Levi lowered his brows. "You fart at me, I'll kick your ass."

Hange chuckled, but then she sobered and spread her hands passively. "All kidding aside, Levi, Eren has good cause for concern. We aren't trying to make you feel insane, we're trying to address some behavior that could potentially be caused by medical issues. Just humor us and come to the clinic with me, so that Moblit and I can have another look at you. I don't want you slipping into a coma or having a stroke because we missed something before."

Levi sighed. "I'm getting sick of being poked and prodded, four-eyes."

"I'm sure you are," she said gently, "but consider this: we have no idea what that alleged 'nurse' gave you while she had you under her care. She might have administered medications that could also be affecting you."

"After I've been back for this long?" Levi raised a brow doubtfully. "Wouldn't you have found it in the blood tests if there was something still in my system?"

"If we were looking for it," she explained, "and some substances have a lingering effect even after they're out of the system. If Erwin finds this woman and questions her, we can find out exactly what she did to you. Until then, I want to rule a few things out. Some medications can cause neural damage if a patient reacts badly to it. I want to make sure that isn't the case."

"You think he could have brain damage?" Eren looked horrified, and he reached out to grab Levi's hand.

"I don't think it's very likely, but let's rule it out just to be safe."

Levi rubbed his temples. Just what he needed; impaired mental facilities. "All right, fine. Let me get my jacket and let the dogs out for a shit, and we'll go to the clinic. I'll call Erwin on the way and see if he had any luck finding that address I gave him. Haven't heard back from him on that."

* * *

When Erwin found out that Levi was going in for another checkup, he decided to just meet them at the UFI medical clinic. The news he had was too complicated to go into it over the phone. He texted Madeline to let her know he would be a bit late for their lunch date, and he drove to the clinic. Levi was in one of the examination rooms with Eren already, and Hange came out of it just as Erwin came down the corridor.

"Hey, Erwin," she greeted him with some relief. "Did you come here with news for Levi?"

"Yes, but it isn't happy news," he answered, glancing through the window on the door leading into the examination room. "How is he doing?"

"I wish my news was better," she sighed. Hange lowered her voice and urged Erwin to walk a little further down the hallway with her. "Levi's physically mending well. The stitches on his scalp can probably come out in a few days, and all of the swelling has gone down. Moblit and I ran every test under the sun on him, did some more x-rays and tissue scans and checked his reflexes. We really can't find anything medically wrong with him."

"However?" pressed Erwin.

"However, he's apparently been suffering moments of confusion. Eren's described it as instances where Levi seems almost like a stranger, and according to him, their dogs have noticed it too. Animals have finer instincts than humans in general, so if the pups are noticing something off about one of their daddies, I'd say it's safe to assume Eren isn't just imagining things out of worry for him."

Hange went on to describe what Eren had told her about the instances he'd witnessed so far, and Erwin scratched his chin in thought. "And he doesn't have any memory of these moments happening?"

Hange shook her head. "None at all. It seems he blacks out when they happen, and he didn't believe Eren at first. Now I think he's accepted that it's a real issue, and he's more willing to seek treatment. The problem is that I don't know what's causing these blackouts, yet. I would have more to work with if I could talk to the woman that treated him and get a full report of everything she did. It could be a chemical imbalance, or it could be a lingering reaction to medication. Did you find her, Erwin?"

"No, and I need to discuss it with Levi," he sighed. "Is he coherent enough to talk?"

"Oh, right now he's completely lucid." She shrugged. "If I didn't know better, I would say nothing's wrong with him at all...but I trust Eren to know when something isn't right with his man. If he's concerned, then so am I. Go ahead and talk to him, Erwin. Since these blackouts seem to happen at random moments, there's no telling when another one could strike."

Erwin tried not to let that observation frighten him, but there were other reasons beyond Levi's personal health to be concerned. The man was a top agent in their organization, and though most of Levi's work now took place behind a desk, he was no less deadly today than he had been as a field agent.

"Hange, what would your recommendation be if Levi were to become unstable?"

She hesitated, and she looked down the hallway at the door to Levi's examination room. "You mean if these episodes increase in frequency to the point where he gets out of control?"

"Exactly."

Hange met Erwin's gaze, and there was dread in her eyes. "Then I would have to recommend he be institutionalized, both for his safety and the safety of others. Levi's combat skills are nothing to underestimate, and if he starts having psychotic episodes..." she left the sentence hanging.

"Nobody around him will be safe," finished Erwin grimly, nodding. "Those are my thoughts, as well."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves and jump to the worst conclusion," advised Hange. "He hasn't been back for long since he went missing, and he hasn't been physically aggressive with anyone, yet. Aside from a few creepy lapses in behavior, Levi's been recovering nicely from his ordeal."

"Yes, but caution is paramount." Erwin paused outside the door as they walked back to the examination room, and he squeezed Hange's shoulder for emphasis. "Watch him as closely as you can, Hange. I want him under observation until we can be sure this won't progress into something worse. Keep me informed if there are any changes. No doubt Levi will keep trying to downplay it, and his pride will get in the way of him keeping me properly informed. I'm particularly concerned for Eren's safety."

"You are?" Hange blinked, surprised. "I would think Eren would be safer around Levi than anyone. Past moments of kicking the hell out of the kid for his own good, it's just not in Levi's nature to endanger him."

Erwin didn't disagree with that. Levi had always been Eren's greatest protector, but Erwin wasn't one to ignore his gut warnings. "I would agree, but there is one outstanding fact that can't be overlooked."

"What's that?" asked Hange.

Erwin's piercing gaze was unwavering and serious. "People tend to hurt the ones they love the most. I know this from personal experience."

Hange sucked in a slow breath, and she nodded. "I see your point. All right, Erwin. I'll make it my top priority to get to the bottom of what could be causing these spells of his, and I'll watch over him like a hawk. I'll assign some of my other project work to underlings I can trust to get it done right, in the meantime."

"Thank you. Your diligence is appreciated. I'll explain to you what I found out once I've spoken with Levi about it."

* * *

Levi felt both hopeful and wary when he saw Erwin come through the door of the examination room. He looked up at the blond, in the process of buttoning up his shirt again.

"Moblit, Eren, could you both please excuse us for a moment?" asked the director politely. "I would like to have a word alone with Levi."

Moblit immediately excused himself from the room, but Eren hesitated. Levi nearly smirked at his spouse. Was it a lingering sense of jealousy that made him procrastinate, or did Eren fear that Smith was there to deliver news that Levi had been suspended or fired? Either way, it was clear that Eren felt protective.

"It's all right, brat," encouraged Levi. "I'll call you back in here once we've finished talking."

"Okay," sighed Eren. "I'll be just outside if you need anything."

Erwin stepped aside as Eren reluctantly moved past him to leave. Once the door was shut, Levi hopped off the table and approached his ex. "So, did you find Susan? Did she tell you anything useful?"

"You may want to sit back down, Levi." Erwin's expression was neutral, but his blue eyes betrayed some warmth of concern.

"What is it?" Levi got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and the possibilities raged in his mind. "Don't tell me enemies of our agency found her and did something to her."

"No, as far as I can say. Please have a seat, and I'll explain."

Levi narrowed his eyes on him, but he didn't argue. He sat down in one of the chairs rather than the examination table, finding them to be preferable after the number of times he'd been fooled with. "Okay, tell me."

Erwin took the seat next to him, and he seemed to gather his thoughts before speaking. "I went to the address you gave to me and found the place abandoned. It matched your description, but it looked like it hasn't been inhabited. There was no furniture inside, no curtains on the windows, and no indication that anyone lived there."

Levi's mouth twisted. "Then you had to have gone to the wrong place."

Erwin shook his head. "No. I checked up and down the street, and I even knocked on doors to ask neighboring residents if they knew anything. Nobody could confirm that a woman named Nancy lived on that street. I thought perhaps part of the street name was incorrect, so I investigated every street in the county sharing the same or similar names. I came up empty-handed."

Levi struggled with this information, frustrated. He combed his fingers through his hair, and he began to reason out the different possibilities. "Was there any sign of a struggle? A break-in? Nobody reported any police or ambulance workers being outside that house anytime after I left there?"

"No, but I did return to the original location I first checked, and one of the neighbors that didn't answer their door the first time came out. He said he could confirm that there was a woman matching the description of your nurse residing in that home for a short while, but she moved just a couple of days ago. He was also able to provide me with a last name. He spoke to her briefly one morning before she moved, and she introduced herself as Susan Daniels."

Levi relaxed slightly, more relieved than he cared to admit. A last name was better than nothing. "So she exists, at least."

"Yes, she exists. You can relax." There was some sympathy in Erwin's expression upon detection of how tense Levi really was about this. "Mr. Taylor said that the woman kept to herself and didn't leave the house much, which may explain why none of the other neighbors interacted with her. In addition, the same man confirmed seeing you leave the premises on the same day you returned home, so we have our evidence that you were there and this alleged nurse was, as well. Mr. Taylor didn't see you arrive at the house, but he was outside watering his lawn on the day that you left."

Levi nodded, finally beginning to feel like they were getting somewhere. "What now, then? Did you find out where she went?"

"Unfortunately, the trail went cold," explained the blond. "The investigative team I put together found records of her organizing things with a moving company, along with a rent payment and some utility bills. That's as far as we've been able to get, which suggests the possibility of foul play. We're going to keep looking for her, Levi. If as you suggested enemies of our organization are behind her disappearance, then it may prove difficult to find her. I'll do all that I can, however."

"Yeah," sighed Levi. He should have tried to get more information out of her before he left, but he'd been disoriented and so eager to get home he hadn't had the patience. It was too late to do anything about that now, and the only good witness Levi had to prove he wasn't insane could by dead or in the custody of hostile agents. "This isn't good, is it?"

Erwin patted him on the shoulder. "We'll do whatever it takes. In the meantime, I want you to take it easy and avoid un-necessary stress. I'm afraid you're off active duty until you're completely recovered, but you'll receive paid time off."

Levi couldn't think of a good reason to contest that judgment. Common sense dictated that he stay out of situations that might cause him to lapse and put anyone in danger. He hated it, but he understood the precaution.

"I'll turn in my gear and weapons this afternoon," he offered. They'd want to keep it locked up until he had a clean bill of health and could return to work.

"Thank you. I know this must be hard for you."

Levi shrugged. "It's protocol, even though technically my 3dm gear isn't property of the UFI. Better that I don't cause a stink over it, though."

"I'll see to it that your agency equipment is kept safe and ready for your return," promised Erwin.

Levi looked up at him as the blond stood up to leave. "Erwin, do you think I'm crazy?"

Erwin paused to look back at him. "No," he answered without hesitation. "I don't think you're crazy. Compared to some of the stunts I've pulled, I think you're comparably sane." He finished his statement with a smile and a wink, and then he left.

* * *

Levi was morose that night. He wasn't being put on house arrest or being overtly restricted from going anywhere, but he had agreed to check in with Hange and the agency whenever he left the premises by himself. Eren could tell it was wounding Levi's pride, and he tried to make things better for him. He ordered sushi takeout for dinner, rubbed his spouse's tense shoulders and did his best to be supportive and loving. Levi wasn't very talkative, and his frown was deeper than usual. He seemed detached as they watched the evening news together and then prepared for bedtime.

"This is only temporary, Captain," Eren said to his companion after retiring to the master bedroom.

He almost suggested they let the dogs sleep with them tonight, but he thought better of it. Levi might take it as a sign that Eren felt he needed protection against him, and the singer again felt bad for questioning his stability. Eren removed his clothes, tossed them in the hamper and joined his husband in their big platform bed. He lay down on his side next to Levi, and he watched that pale, troubled face in the soft lamplight.

"What can I do for you?" Eren said at last, feeling desperate to make things more bearable for the other man.

Levi met his gaze silently, and then he lowered his eyes. "Nothing."

Eren hated the defeat in Levi's voice. "There has to be something. I know the agency is handling the investigation, but I'm your husband. I should be able to do more than sit here uselessly."

Levi sighed, and he levered himself up on one elbow. Leaning over Eren, he affixed him with a piercing, hooded stare. It wasn't the same stare the agent had given him the day before that made him uneasy. It was his "Levi stare", one that Eren was familiar with seeing when the captain wanted his undivided attention.

"You really want to help, Eren?"

"Of course I do." Eren swallowed. Levi looked so serious, but so handsome right now. That intensity was part of what had drawn the young man to him, both in this life and the last one.

The mask cracked, and Levi's eyes softened with uncommon vulnerability. "Are you afraid of me now, Eren?"

Levi had asked him that same question nearly two years ago, in a cabin out in the woods where he'd taken Eren to lay low from the people that were after him. This time, however, Levi's tone was different. He asked the question like he was bracing himself for a blow, not as a challenge.

The last time Eren had seen a side like this to Levi was when he woke up from a coma in the hospital to find the captain at his bedside, begging him to come back. It was just as heart-wrenching to see now as it had been then; perhaps even more so, because this time, Eren got the impression that Levi was afraid he'd leave him of his own volition.

"No, Captain," whispered Eren. He reached up to touch the beloved, youthful face. "I'm not afraid of you. How could I be, when you've risked everything to protect me so many times?"

He _was_ afraid _for_ him, though. Eren had never seen or imagined Levi Ackerman lose control like that before. He'd seen him angry, he'd seen him upset, but he'd never witnessed that sort of mind lapse from him. Eren supposed the closest he'd come was back in the previous life, when Levi was so distracted one day that he kept sweeping the same spot even after it was spic and span.

"Show me," urged Levi in a low voice. "I need to know you aren't scared of me."

What else was there to do but comply? It was a simple enough request, and in his heart, Eren trusted Levi regardless of how uneasy some of his recent behavior had made him. The singer could tell what his spouse was prompting him for by the look in his eyes and his hovering position over him. Eren cupped the back of Levi's head to draw him down for a kiss, and he let the smaller man's tongue into his mouth. He sifted his fingers through the agent's black hair as they kissed, and he parted his thighs when Levi wedged one of his between them.

The kiss grew more heated, and Levi's hands started exploring Eren's body a little roughly. There was that desperation again, expressed in actions rather than words. Levi's passion was running hot, and he nipped lightly at Eren's lips between kisses. Eren let his hands drift as well, feeling the tight muscle and smooth skin beneath them. He flicked his tongue against Levi's, and he teased his nipples. A soft, muffled growl was his reward, and Eren gasped when Levi rubbed his naked thigh against his arousal, enticingly.

It got intense fast. They hadn't had sex since just before Levi went missing, and the need to be joined was fast dominating their sense of patience. It was obvious to Eren that his spouse wanted to be inside of him this time, and that was fine by him. Levi surprised him, though. Instead of immediately starting to prepare him once he got the cherry lubricant out of the side table drawer, the agent set it aside and started squirming his way down Eren's body. Even in his state of urgency, Levi was willing to take some extra time.

"Oh," blurted Eren, startled as his companion pushed his legs further apart and took him into his mouth. He consciously relaxed and stroked Levi's hair a moment later. Letting someone's teeth near his junk was certainly an exercise of trust, as was letting them do him in the ass. He panted softly as Levi worked his warm, damp mouth over his taut flesh, licking and sucking skillfully at it as he went.

"I don't think it's gonna take long," warned Eren breathily, just in case it built up too fast for him to give sufficient notice. Choking Levi with a sudden blast of cum wasn't Eren's idea of expressing appreciation for him.

Levi said nothing except to purr in his throat, creating delightful vibrations around the sensitive flesh he was pleasuring. Eren lifted his head off the pillow to watch him, struggling not to grab the other man's hair and thrust into his mouth.

"Levi," whined Eren, rapidly climbing higher to that summit. He supposed it was okay to finish in Levi's mouth, if he was going to be the one bottoming tonight. He just had a habit of stopping him before he reached that point.

The sucking continued, and then Levi started palming Eren's balls, giving them gentle, rhythmic squeezes that always drove him crazy. Eren's cries grew louder and his eyes went blank, quickly shifting colors from green to gold. The singer brought a hand to his mouth and bit it—not hard enough to draw blood, but leaving some tooth marks in the process. Eren's thighs twitched, and he planted his feet on the surface of the bed, toes curling.

"Fuck," groaned Eren, now consumed in the sharp, deep throbs of a powerful climax.

Levi swallowed his length down his throat and took it all from him. He didn't spill a drop, and when it finished, he licked Eren clean. He gave the singer a satisfied smirk, and then he scooted over and stretched out beside him.

"Roll onto your side."

Eren did as he suggested, still dazed and catching his breath. Levi positioned them so that one of Eren's legs were propped up and resting on Levi's shoulder, while Levi straddled Eren's other leg. The hybrid position was half spooning and half scissoring. He was going to be in trouble with this one, because it always provided perfect ramming of his prostate. Eren turned his head to accept Levi's kiss, the muscles of his upper thigh stretching from the other man's weight pressing down on it. He didn't mind; he was a lot more limber since getting with Levi than he'd been before.

Levi worked him open with generous amounts of lube and more patience than most people would have at this point. Eren stroked the other man's cock slowly, exchanging kisses with him and relaxing his inner muscles as much as he could. He gasped when Levi entered him, but it was a smooth enough breach, and the discomfort of initial penetration faded quickly.

"You okay?" husked Levi, pausing for a moment after filling him.

"Yeah. It's just been a little while."

Levi accepted the answer, and he started to move. Eren's breath hitched as the other man's length started unerringly butting against that sweet spot inside of him, and he grabbed for Levi's nearest hand. Their fingers entwined, and Levi's low, breathy grunts filled the singer's ears. Eren swelled again little by little as his spouse made love to him, and Levi's excitement mounted.

"Look at me," demanded Levi in a rasp.

Eren opened his eyes to meet the captain's his mouth falling open with his pants and moans. In contrast to the rough quality of his voice, Levi's gaze was warm and soft on Eren, expressing feelings that the man always stumbled over verbally. It made Eren hot to see him looking at him that way. He sprung to full hardness, and his jaw clenched. He was getting close again. Maybe he really _did_ have a hyper-active sex drive, as Levi sometimes suggested.

Levi's hips pistoned back and forth faster, and his groans and swears picked up in pace. He wasn't going to last much longer either, Eren could tell. Eren squeezed the captain's hand tighter when he saw his brows knit with concentration, obviously struggling.

"Come," gasped the singer. "You don't...have to hold back."

Levi shuddered, his eyes squeezing shut as he lost the fight. He panted Eren's name, bucking inside of him. The warm spurt of his relief filled Eren, and he smiled. Levi stayed where he was for a few moments, softening within Eren as he recovered. After a little while, he opened his eyes to look down at him. He eased Eren's leg off as he slid out of him, and then he collapsed on top of him as the singer got into a more comfortable position.

"You didn't come again," observed Levi, breathing against Eren's hair.

"Almost." Eren traced the tattoo of the Wings of Freedom spanning Levi's back. Sometimes one or both of them came twice during sex, sometimes they didn't...but he knew there was more to come later, so it was all right. "Besides, you made my vision go white at the edges with that blowjob you gave me."

"Tch. I was hoping to give you another one," sighed Levi.

Eren cupped the smaller man's chin, urging him to lift his head. He kissed him softly. "I know you're good for it later. That was amazing loving, gorgeous."

"Was it?" Levi gave him a look that said he suspected Eren of giving him lip service.

Eren smiled. Even now, Levi was such a perfectionist when it came to his performance in the bedroom. "You don't have to go all night to satisfy me, Captain. You always get me off fast when you do me."

That seemed to pacify Levi. He slid a hand down Eren's chest and stomach, and then it traveled lower. He kissed his jaw, and he curled his fingers around Eren's erection, now smeared with his release from earlier. "Hmm. How about we switch and go for an encore, then?"

Eren liked that idea, as the way he twitched in his spouse's stroking hand demonstrated.

* * *

They spent most of the night making love, each of them initiating more with the other after recovering enough to go for another round. They didn't use any toys because they were both too into each other to bother stopping long enough to dig any out. Eren did, however, indulge in a bit of spank play once Levi assured him he was okay with it. Getting the initial, urgent need for proof that his green-eyed singer still trusted him had taken a load off of Levi's shoulders, and once he had that release, he was able to relax more and give more of himself to Eren. This was evident in how easily it came to him to take on a more submissive role and let his companion smack his ass until it was blushing. Levi came in the midst of it, further soiling the bedding. He didn't even care that they hadn't thought to use condoms to contain the mess—the linens were due for a change anyhow.

The aftercare was tender and loving as always, with Eren kissing him and whispering endearments as Levi calmed and recovered. Eren rubbed lotion on Levi's heated ass cheeks to sooth the burn and protect the skin, and then he fingered him for a bit, applying more lubricant.

"Are you sure you want more?" questioned the singer as Levi got on his hands and knees. It was the kindest sexual position they'd found for Levi's bottom after getting a spank.

Pink-faced and hard again, Levi nodded. "Fuck me. Please. You've got me so damned horny again, Eren."

Levi heard his companion make an almost pained sound, and he looked over his shoulder at the kneeling man. Eren's eyes were practically aglow as they devoured him, and the rock star stroked his hands over Levi's arching back possessively. That look only served to intensify Levi's desire, and he lifted his ass more to entice his companion.

"Do I have to beg for it?"

"Maybe just a little," came the cheeky, husky response. He gripped himself and pressed intimately between Levi's cheeks, rubbing his cock teasingly there.

Levi groaned softly. Well, he'd started it, and Levi played the horny submissive for Eren often enough to have a pretty good handle on it. "Please, give me your fat cock, Eren. My red ass is begging for it."

Eren suddenly sputtered a laugh, and he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth when Levi dropped his slutty look and narrowed his eyes at him. "Sorry. That was just so blunt it was funny."

Levi almost admonished him, but upon considering his own wording uttered in the heat of the moment, he could understand. "Heh. Guess that wasn't my sexiest invitation."

Eren fondled Levi's nipples one at a time with his free hand, and he positioned himself. "You're sexy no matter what comes out of your mouth, baby."

Levi was going to say that at least he didn't go around calling Eren "baby", but then the other man nudged into him and he lost his train of thought immediately. The teasing mood evaporated as he was filled, and Levi moaned. Now that he was inside of him, Eren released the base of his sex and he played with Levi's nipples as he started pumping slowly.

"I love you," Eren announced, his voice wobbling with pleasure and emotion.

Used to hearing his husband spout off such romantic litanies during sex, Levi turned his head. "Kiss me."

Eren bowed over him, and he cupped the agent's chin before complying with the order. Their tongues fenced and their intimate gyrations made the bed knock against the wall. Eren lasted a little longer this time than the last, but the smack of skin on skin when he picked up the pace stung Levi's ass delightfully and made him finish shockingly fast. He thought it had to be some sort of record, in fact. Blaming it on being over-stimulated after their BDSM play, Levi rocked back into Eren's thrusts and used his inner muscles to help the other man reach completion.

When they were both satisfied, they found a dry spot on the rumpled sheets and they took a breather. Both lying on their backs, they turned their heads to look at each other. Eren was the first to speak.

"Did you come within the first minute, or did I imagine that?"

Levi flushed. "Yeah. Probably 'cause I was so sensitive from the last time. Plus you were spanking my ass with your pelvis while you were fucking me, and that just got me more worked up."

Eren grinned. "I didn't realize I was pounding you that hard. As long as you liked it and it didn't hurt you."

Levi lifted his hips a little and rubbed his bottom. "I might need some more lotion, but it's fine. Let's strip the bed and put fresh sheets on it. Hopefully we didn't soak through the padding."

They'd learned to put the added layer between the mattress and the bedding early on. Levi had come up with the idea after their activities stained the mattress and they had to buy a new one. It worked better than spreading out towels when they got frisky and didn't have any condoms left—or forgot to use them.

He and Eren got up and together, they stripped the bed, checked it and re-made it. Eren applied more lotion to the agent's bottom, and they lay back down together and held each other until they fell asleep.

* * *

A few hours before dawn, Levi awoke again. He watched Eren's sleeping face in the moonlight, and he stroked a hand down over the singer's arm to his hip. He lifted the covers to have a peek at Eren's goods. After a moment, he dropped the covers back down again, rolled quietly out of bed and went naked to the window. He hooked a finger into one of the blinds and tugged it down to peer through the opening. Seeing the uninteresting view of the back yard, he got his robe and slipped it on before creeping out of the bedroom on silent feet.

Lena and Luka were curled up in their dog beds in the hallway, just outside the bedroom door. The former looked up at Levi and whined softly as if questioning him. He tilted his head a little and watched her. When she rested her chin on her paws again with a sigh, Levi walked past her. He went into the living room and to the foyer, and he looked out a window there.

Someone was out there. It could be paparazzi hoping to get a shot of them, but it was doubtful at this hour. No, the faint movement Levi had seen by the fence surrounding their home probably wasn't a reporter or a burglar. No doubt it was an agent assigned to keep an eye on the place.

Levi checked the other sides of the house, trying to get an idea of how many might be out there. It was too dark to be sure, though. They probably wouldn't try to stop him if he tried to leave, but they would absolutely report it and try to follow him.

"Tch."

Shaking his head, Levi stepped away from the window, and he went into the garage. He felt around for the light switch, and once he had some illumination, he went to the storage closet at the back of the garage, near his parked motorcycle. He picked up his keys hanging in the key storage next to it, and he pulled open the closet. Pushing aside lawn equipment and tools, he found a depression in the back of the closet so subtle it would have been overlooked by most. He felt along it for a moment, pressing down. A panel opened where it had been almost seamless before, and Levi inserted one of his keys into the keyhole behind it. It clicked, and he tugged on the depression to slide away the false back of the closet.

Hanging within that narrow, hidden space was a familiar white uniform, a green cape, tall brown boots, and an intricate set of harness straps. Leaning against the wall to the left of those was a set of gear composed of wires, gas canisters, mechanism handles and two sets of blades. There was also another uniform, almost identical to the white one, but jet black in coloring.

Satisfied that it was all there if he needed it, Levi put everything back the way it was. He returned to the bedroom, and he found both of the dogs watching him.

"What?" Levi demanded of them.

Luka gave a hesitant wag of his tail, and Lena whined as she had earlier. Levi sighed, and he reached down slowly to give one of them a pat, and then the other.

"See? I'm fine. What's with you two?"

Lena gave his hand a lick, and Luka huffed. Apparently satisfied enough for now, they both settled back down into their beds. Levi walked into the bedroom, took his robe off and climbed back into his own bed with his husband. Eren stirred in his sleep and threw an arm around the agent. Levi tensed at the abrupt contact, but then he relaxed. He rolled over to face Eren, and he watched him for a while before closing his eyes and trying to find sleep again.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recap:
> 
> Levi: "Oi, quit gaslighting."
> 
> Eren: "I'm not gaslighting! You're gaslighting! Wait, what's gaslighting?"
> 
> Hange: "Both of you shut up! Nobody's gaslighting anyone. If you want to see some gaslighting..."
> 
> Levi: (ಠ.ಠ) "If you point your asshole at us I'll stab it, four-eyes."
> 
> Hange: "With what, praytell?" *waggles eyebrows* "I'm not opposed to anal. Just ask Moblit."
> 
> Moblit: (－‸ლ) "I want a drink."
> 
> Erwin: "Levi, the good news is your mystery nurse is real. The bad news is, she might be dead."
> 
> Levi: "So the only person that can vouch for my sanity is MIA. Today just sucks."
> 
> Eren: "I've got to do something to make you feel better."
> 
> Levi: "Well, you could assume the position. That might work."
> 
> Eren: *ASSUMES THE POSITION*
> 
> Levi: "Huh. That was easy."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No silly recaps this chapter because I'm a tad too distracted to write them. Sorry!

"Damn it, I burned the eggs again!"

Eren gave his husband an apologetic look as Levi paused in his task of squeezing fresh orange juice to regard him. He picked up the pan of now crispy and overdone eggs, and he showed it mournfully to the other man. "Sorry. I tried."

Levi surveyed the mess tactfully, used to Eren's mishaps in the kitchen. "It's not that bad. We can just cut off the edges."

Eren nodded, feeling a little better now that Levi had pointed out they were still salvageable. He got to work on shaving the burnt portion off while his companion got the toast out of the oven to plate it up. They looked at one another as they portioned out their breakfast onto the plates, and something passed between them. Eren smiled, and Levi gave the tiniest smile back. No words were spoken between them, but Eren was sure they were both thinking of their encounter in the shower earlier that morning.

Things were going better now. Another week had passed since Levi had a second examination and turned his weapons in. So far, he hadn't had another one of his strange lapses or blackouts or whatever they were. The dogs hadn't reacted strangely to him since that one night, either. Though Levi was still on mandatory leave from work, Erwin had lifted the requirement that he check in with the agency whenever he left the house. Levi seemed to be in better spirits now, and the night before, he went to band practice with Eren to watch them play.

"You know, I miss using the ODM gear," Eren said at last, his mind going to another thing that might have helped keep Levi's spirits up. He shrugged, buttering up his toast. "I know you kind of had to turn it in, but _you_ made it. It's not UFI property, right?"

"It's still a deadly weapon," reminded Levi. He tasted his eggs, and he sprinkled some pepper on them. "Like you keep reminding me, Eren: it's temporary. If I can go another week or two without any further incidents, I should be back on track again and Erwin will put in for me to return to work. I'll get it all right back."

"Yeah. It just bugs me that we couldn't even keep the harnesses to practice moves. The pairing blades I get, but I'd have liked to keep the rest. I feel like I'm getting rusty already."

Levi approached him, and he put his hands on the taller man's waist. "Tell you what," he offered, lifting up on his toes to give Eren a brief kiss on the mouth, "As soon as I'm cleared to get them back, the first thing we'll do is take our gear sets to our training spot and make a day of it."

"Yeah?" Eren smiled.

"Yeah." Levi gave him a little smack on the ass. "I can't have you losing your edge and getting sloppy in the air again, right? Let's eat."

Eren joined him at the breakfast table, and his phone went off as he sat down. He grunted with annoyance and pulled it out of his pants pocket to check the text message he'd just received.

"What is it?" asked Levi upon seeing Eren's dismayed look.

"It's Armin." Eren put the phone down on the table. "He's been wanting us to do a short tour, since the original one got delayed. It would just be around a month and we'd only be hitting a few major cities in this state and the three surrounding it, but—"

"You should listen to Armin," said Levi without hesitation. He sipped his water. "If you guys never go on tour, you lose some of your promotion. You should do this one until your new album comes out, then plan a bigger one to promote that once it starts hitting the airwaves."

Eren knew he was right, but under the circumstances he would have rather waited. He sat indecisive, agonizing over what to do. After a moment, he heard his husband sigh.

"Eren, I'm fine," Levi murmured as the singer looked up from his plate at him. "I haven't had any more episodes. You can let me out of your sight for a while without a major fucking disaster happening, okay?"

"I know, but it still seems so soon for me to go away. If the tables were turned and I went missing and came home hurt like that, would you be willing to take off somewhere for a month?"

His reasoning gave Levi pause, and Eren spread his hands. "See? You wouldn't want to do it either!"

"Hmm." Levi mulled it over, finished his eggs and drank some of his juice. "All right, I'll bend a little. It's not unreasonable for you to be worried about leaving me alone right now, but I still think you should do it. I have plenty of people to call on if I need anything, brat. Music is your passion now, so you should do it as long as you can."

"What if you went on tour with us?" asked the singer impulsively.

"Eren, I can't do that. You know I'm not supposed to leave the city until I've got a clean bill of health. The investigation's still going on too, and I need to be here if something new comes up. I want to know what the hell happened to me between the time I got brained and the time I woke up in that woman's house. I want to know what happened to her afterwards, too."

Eren deflated. He knew all of that, but he'd forgotten in his determination to provide a solution for his dilemma.

"Don't look like that," chided Levi. "I'm just being realistic. How about this: Farlan and Isabel can come stay with me while you're on tour. That way I'll have trustworthy friends right here with me. Would that make you feel better?"

"Well, I guess so," conceded Eren reluctantly. "That would be better than you staying here alone, and—wait, I didn't mean it like that. You're glaring at me."

The sharpness of Levi's stare faded, and he looked down at his plate. "I'm trying to work out a compromise here, Eren."

Eren cursed himself inwardly. The morning had started off so well, and now they were on the verge of an argument. He knew Levi wanted to support his career, but there was more to it than that. Levi was a strong and independent person. He'd already asked if he had Eren's trust since this happened. Maybe he wasn't just referring to Eren feeling safe with him, but having faith in his ability to take care of himself.

"All right," Eren said, thinking of how debasing this whole situation must be for a man like Levi. "I'll go on the mini tour. I'll call Armin today, and we'll work out the dates."

Levi looked up again, and he relaxed. He kept it dignified, but Eren could see that he felt like he'd just won a battle. Eren wanted to say so much more to him, but he didn't want the good mood they'd both woke up with threatened further. As they finished breakfast, he formulated an idea of how he could tell Levi everything he felt without pushing a verbal conversation the captain didn't want to indulge in.

He was pretty good with words, after all. He wrote his own song lyrics.

* * *

Eren made his arrangements for the tour with his band mates, and Levi made the arrangements for Farlan and Isabel to come over. Things moved rather quickly after that. Now that Levi was home and apparently safe, Armin was pushing for them to get on the road as quickly as reasonably possible. The tour dates were set, and Eren left by the end of the week. He and Levi spent as much time together as possible before his date of departure. They went out on dates, they took the dogs to the park together, they fooled around in the hot-tub, and they had sex each night.

All and all, it was a nice week. Levi still hadn't had any further episodes, Eren felt better about going on the tour without him and there was no further misunderstandings between them. Isabel and Farlan showed up at the house after they finished their work shifts on the same day Eren left for the tour, and the three of them had a card game before bed.

It wasn't until the next morning that Levi found the letter Eren left behind for him, cleverly tucked into the singer's pillow case. Levi found it as he was preparing to strip and change the bedding, and he wondered if a bill or something managed to get misplaced in the linens. Levi frowned and opened the envelope, which had his name written on it in Eren's handwriting.

_"Levi,_

_I didn't want to spend these last days with you before leaving talking about things I know you don't want to discuss, so I decided to write this letter. Maybe I'm a coward for putting it on paper like this instead of facing up to it and speaking my thoughts in person..."_

Levi's free hand clenched into a fist, and he suffered a horrible, unreasonable moment thinking he was reading a "Dear John" letter. He forced himself to calm down and think rationally, and he kept reading.

_"...but you've been through a lot. I didn't want to end up in an argument and leave with you angry at me, on top of everything else. We don't even have to talk about it when I get back, if you don't want to. I know talking about feelings doesn't come easy for you, so I'll just write down how I feel and leave it up to you to decide if we discuss it or not when I finish this tour._

_First, I want to tell you I still have as much respect for you as I ever did. That isn't going to change. I still look up to you, and I'm going to love you until the day I die and beyond. I'll be at your side no matter what. I hope you know that, by now. You're still my captain, but what's more than that, you're my partner."_

Levi paused again, and he shut his eyes. The rapid cadence of his heartbeat slowed to a more normal rate, and he breathed a sigh.

"Goddamn it, Jaeger," he swore. "Nice work, scaring the shit out of me."

Levi took another couple of minutes to settle down. He knew it was ridiculous for him to think Eren would leave him. Even though he'd had a few moments of weird behavior since returning home, even though he and Eren had some disagreements, they'd worked through that. The brat had been nothing but attentive, loving and passionate toward him. It was paranoia and uncertainty making him think that way, and Levi was worldly enough to at least admit so to himself.

Once he felt he'd regained rational thought again, Levi read the remainder of the letter.

_"You've always had your memories from our past lives, unlike the rest of us who had to drink a tonic to get them back. You like to give some control over in the bedroom because it's a release from always having to be in control yourself, and now you've got fragments of your life missing, and nobody knows why or how to fix it yet. That's got to be scary even for you, Levi. I wish you would talk to me more. I wish you would be more open sometimes. You don't always have to be a hero, at least not with me._

_I guess all I'm really asking is for you to be patient when I seem like I'm babying you. It comes from love and concern; not from disrespect. If you decide to tear up this letter and never talk about it, I won't be mad. The important thing to me is that you know all of this, and I didn't trust myself to try to get it all out in person without screwing it up. See you in a month._

_Love,_

_Eren Ackerman."_

For long, long moments, Levi just sat there on the bed. He read the letter a second time, and then a third time. This little love letter had the same range of emotion as the wedding vows he spoke when they got married. Deeply passionate, sincere and a little sappy. Eren's word usage had improved a little since then, but the fierce devotion remained the same. The part that kept catching Levi's eye the most, however, was at the end.

_"Love,_

_Eren Ackerman."_

Not "Eren Jaeger-Ackerman", but "Eren Ackerman". They'd taken each other's names when they got married and hyphenated them, but their identification and Eren's stage name still reflected their original surnames. Eren had deliberately chosen to sign only "Ackerman" on this letter. If Levi knew his shitty brat, Eren was trying to reassure him that he was his. He'd even underlined the surname for emphasis.

He thought on it for a long time, and then he got up, put the letter back into the envelope, and started to drop it in the wastepaper basket. Levi hovered it over the bin for a moment, and then he changed his mind. He put it into the bottom drawer of his bedside table, instead.

* * *

Two weeks into Eren's tour, Levi got called into headquarters. He met up with Erwin in his office after speaking briefly to Petra and Nanaba. Erwin gestured politely for him to have a seat once the door was closed, and Levi silently braced himself for whatever was to come.

"Would you like the good news first, or the bad?" Erwin asked him. "Oh, and here."

He slid a cup of the steaming beverage across the top of his desk toward Levi. The smaller man scooted closer, crossed his legs and picked up the cup. He sniffed at it, recognized the aroma of one of his favorite tea blends, and he raised a brow at the other man.

"The bad news must be pretty damned bad, for you to tell me to sit down and serve me a fresh cup of tea."

"I used to make tea for you all of the time," reminded Erwin. He sipped at his own cup of coffee, and he opened a file folder sitting before him. "Well, whenever I was around to do it."

"Since when?"

Erwin looked at him over the rim of his cup. "When the two of us were more than work colleagues."

Levi stared at him.

_~What the hell does he mean? Me and Erwin were never "more than work colleagues". I never fucked the guy my mother-in-law is dating...did I?~_

Erwin set his cup back down, and his thick golden brows lifted a little bit. "Levi, I was referring to the other life before this one." He was watching him with veiled concern now. "You remember, don't you?"

Levi felt a twinge of panic as it came back to him. He _had_ fucked Erwin. Visuals of it were flashing through his mind now like lightning, visuals of several sweaty, intimate encounters.

"Of course I remember," snapped Levi, schooling his face into a cool, annoyed mask, "but do you have to bring that up right now?"

Erwin studied him for a moment, and then he sat back in his chair. "You're right, of course. It was inappropriate of me to bring up that part of our history, especially so casually in such a setting. I was just trying to break the ice before we discuss business. I thought I was being subtle enough, but you seemed confused."

"Just confused about why you're beating around the bush and making me tea. You haven't done that in this life, so why now? Oi, things are okay with you and Mads, right? You're not losing interest in her, are you?"

"Everything is fine with Madeline and I," assured Erwin. "I didn't offer you the tea to try and rekindle an old spark, if that's what you're concerned about."

Levi clamped down on his impulses, reminding himself that Erwin had never in this life made any untoward advances on him.

_~At least, not that I can remember.~_

"Give me the bad news first, I guess," he said after collecting himself. He could work out the timeline of the past and present later.

"We still haven't located Susan Daniels, and we suspect her name to be an alias."

"Should I take that to mean you think me ending up in her house was no coincidence?"

"Of that, I can't be sure," admitted Erwin. "Our people investigated that home from top to bottom. The place was scoured clean. No fingerprints were left behind. Every piece of furniture and every appliance she might have used was removed. However, the team did manage to procure some DNA samples. Blood."

"Let me guess," sighed Levi, "it was all my blood."

Erwin nodded. "It's further proof that you were there, at least."

"But no proof that she was."

"The neighbor has already filed a statement on that matter. That and your report are enough to keep the investigation open. You know how these things work with misdirection, evasion and identification masking though, Levi. You've done it yourself many times. Without a clear facial image to go by, the process of finding someone under a cover identity can be set back quite a bit. We have technicians going over all satellite imagery of that location recorded in the past month, but some of it's missing."

"So whatever happened to me, she must have been in on it." Levi scowled. And to think he'd been worried about the bitch.

"There are other possibilities." Erwin took another sip of his coffee, and he leaned forward in his seat to thread his hands together over the surface of the desk. "One is that she was fleeing someone not involved in UFI or enemy affairs at all. An abusive partner, perhaps."

Levi huffed. "And you think someone in that situation would have access to satellite imagery data? That seems like reaching, to me."

"True, but I'm leaving all possibilities open, until we find some evidence to rule it out. Another possibility, of course, is that someone else was after you, found out where you were last located, and took the woman that helped you. If they're involved in secret services or some other agency, it stands to reason that they made her 'disappear', and could have her alive somewhere right now."

"Shit, I must be more popular than I thought," muttered Levi. "All of this sounds pretty far-fetched, but I personally can't think of a more likely theory."

"The investigation will go on," promised Erwin, "which brings me to the good news. You can return to work. I've spoken to the higher-ups, given them the reports and the evidence, along with Hange's prognosis that you're fit to come back."

Levi nodded, and though his expression didn't change, he felt some relief as well as an odd little spike of adrenaline. It was an unusual blend, and he excused it on getting some normalcy back in his life. Life at home with the dogs was fine and he kept himself busy, but he was a man accustomed to taking charge, taking action or both. Being a house husband didn't suit Levi's temperament at all, cooking and cleaning habits aside.

"There's just one thing," Erwin went on.

"Tch, I knew there had to be a catch."

Erwin smiled. "I'm sorry, but yes. I'm afraid for now, you'll be doing desk work only. No field work. I wish I could grant you access to your weapons and equipment immediately, but the higher-ups feel that we should take it in small steps, given the unanswered questions about what happened to you and what may have been done to you."

Levi compressed his lips, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry, Levi," offered the blond, eyes softening on him.

"You said that already." Levi shrugged, and he finished his tea. "You did what you could. At least I'm coming back to work."

"And you'll be running your department like always," said Erwin, "with the exception of performing any field work yourself. You should also document any memories you might recover of your time missing, and immediately report it if you suffer another episode."

Levi's brow twitched slightly. He might have just had an 'episode' a moment ago, except it didn't involve blacking out and doing or saying something without his knowledge. However, a memory lapse involving a previous life experience didn't qualify to Levi as something he should be reporting. If he went to the higher-ups saying he was having trouble remembering things from another life, they'd can him for sure and toss him in the institution.

"I see," he said evenly. "I understand the caution. Will I be allowed to be involved in the investigation?"

Erwin hesitated. "For now, our superiors feel that it would be best to leave that to others, due to the personal nature of it. We'll start you out with the organization of some standard operations, and we'll play it by ear from there. How this pans out depends on what this investigation uncovers and how you perform."

Levi supposed that made sense. The look on Erwin's face made him sigh. "Don't fucking apologize again, all right? This wasn't your doing, and you have to follow protocol. I get it; right now I'm a potential liability. I'm just happy to get back to work."

Erwin smiled, and he stood up. He offered his hand to Levi as the smaller man also stood, and they shook. "Then welcome back, Agent Ackerman. You'll find your office just as you left it. I've even taken the liberty of having it cleaned—"

Levi gave him a sharp look, and Erwin stumbled, realizing his mistake. "Right. Bad move."

Levi let it go. He hated having anyone besides Eren clean his personal space without his direct supervision, and Erwin knew that...but his office had probably collected dust while he was away. Some things, he just had to let slide. He gave the blond a nod.

"Thanks."

* * *

Erwin called Mike into his office once Levi was gone, and the two of them exchanged nods before sitting down. His expression was somber and thoughtful as the director spoke to his Deputy Director.

"Well?"

"I haven't had the chance to check yet," answered Mike. "What's your take?"

Erwin sighed. "We need reassurance. I still have misgivings."

"Then I'll get back to you," promised Mike.

* * *

Though Erwin said he'd had his office cleaned for him and it wasn't bad, Levi still did some cleaning of his own right away. It soothed him to clean. The familiar ritual kept his stress levels down almost as well as sex. It also helped him to focus better, and as he dusted, sprayed and wiped down his black lacquer office furniture, he repeated events of the far past to himself.

"My mother was Kuchel. Never knew my father. My uncle was Kenny. I was in Survey Corps. I was captain of Special Operations. Erwin and I were together, but we were..."

Levi paused with the cleaning cloth in his hand, frowning in thought. Yes, he and Erwin started fucking a while after Levi got recruited into the Scouts, but it wasn't exclusive. They had an open relationship.

"But he was the only one of the two of us that cashed in on that," Levi went on, speaking softly.

He resumed wiping down the smooth surfaces methodically with his lemon-scented cleaner and scratch protector. That was right; Erwin had all of his upper-class chippies in the capital, but Levi kept only to him.

"Until Eren Jaeger came along."

Levi smirked, the memory of their relationship blossoming coming easy to him now. He'd been deeply in love with Erwin, but Erwin wouldn't commit to one person, and he hadn't given Levi the attention he needed. Then that awkward titan brat came along, satisfied Levi's needs and what the captain had meant to be a casual fling on the side evolved into something more. Before he knew it, he was falling out of love with Erwin and in love with Jaeger. His loyalty kept him from breaking things off with the commander, along with his denial that he was falling for Eren. A sort of love triangle ensued, and Erwin eventually caught on that Levi's spark was no longer for him. It had been Erwin that broke things off between he and Levi, in the end.

Levi didn't dwell on the rest, because shortly after that was when he became mortally wounded in battle and died. The part he'd been trying to recall clearly was the relationship dynamic he'd once had with Erwin, and now that he'd gone over it in his head, everything had come back to him.

"So I didn't lose it," he reasoned, proud of himself. "I just forgot a few things in all this drama."

He couldn't say why it troubled him so much to forget details about his past life, except that he'd never had problems recalling them before. Maybe it was because that previous life had shaped his present one so much, including the relationships he had now.

Assured that he hadn't lost that piece of himself after all, Levi's spirits perked up. Now all he had to do was find out what happened to him while he was missing, find out what happened to the mystery nurse that had "helped" him, and get his life back on track.

* * *

Eren dove for his cell phone as soon as he heard it going off. He'd just made it backstage to the dressing room after the first set of their concert. He nearly tripped over the chair in front of the vanity where his phone was setting, and he plopped down into it as he answered the call.

"Levi?"

"There you are," answered the low, sensual voice on the other end. "I was beginning to think it would ring out on me."

"Sorry, the set ran longer than I thought it would."

"You sound winded," observed Levi.

"A little," agreed the singer. "I checked the time when we got off stage, knew you'd be calling any minute. Thanks for not hanging up."

"You could have just called me right back, idiot." There was a touch of fondness in the dry response.

Eren scratched the back of his sweaty head. "True, but I'm trying to make it a point to be on time for our little phone dates."

"Dates?" Levi's voice was subtly amused.

Eren shrugged. "That's how I look at it, when we're apart."

"Well, even dates can be rescheduled if something gets in the way," reasoned Levi. "So how's the show going so far?"

"It's going good." Eren waved it away. His husband's status was more important to him. "So what happened at the office? You said in your text this morning that they called you in?"

"Yeah. I'm back to work."

Eren grinned from ear to ear. "That's great, Levi!"

"Don't get too enthusiastic," warned the agent. "There's more. I won't go into it right now because I know you're on an intermission break and have to go on again soon. We'll talk about the details tomorrow night when you've touched down at your next location."

"Sure...okay." Eren resisted a sigh. Levi hadn't said anything about the letter that he'd left him, yet. Eren had made sure to put it in a place his husband would find it, knowing Levi preferred to change the bedding every few days even when they didn't mess it up. Maybe he was just slacking a little because of what was going on.

"How are the fur babies?" Eren asked, reminding himself to be patient.

"They're fine, though Luka puked up part of his chew toy last night. I threw those things out after that and bought them some rawhide bones. I don't know why we even bought those shitty synthetic things for them in the first place."

Eren winced. "Actually, we bought those because I picked them out, but I'm glad you got rid of them after hearing this."

"Trial and error," said Levi, a shrug in his voice. "I agreed to it, so it's just as much my bad as yours. Luka seems fine now, though. Mads checked on them at lunch for me while I was out."

That made Eren smile—not just because his mother had checked in on the dogs, but because of the way Levi always referred to her as "Mads". He absolutely loved the relationship his husband had with his mom.

"Good. How are Isabel and Farlan?"

"Busy, but fine," answered Levi. "They said to tell you 'hi', by the way."

"Back at them."

Someone threw a towel at Eren, and it landed halfway over his head. He muttered and grabbed at it, twisting around in his stool to see Connie smirking at him.

"Five minutes, love puppy," reminded the drummer.

Someone thrust a water bottle in Eren's face, and he followed the line of the pale, toned arm up to Mikasa's lovely face.

"Don't get dehydrated," she warned.

With a sigh, Eren took the water from her, and he spoke into the phone. "Did you hear all of that, Levi?"

"Yeah, I heard it. They're right. You need to amp up. I'll let you go, Eren."

Eren didn't want to hang up with him, but he couldn't argue with everyone's logic. "Okay, beautiful. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

* * *

The next day Levi went to work, and as he was on his way down the hall to his office, Mike came up beside him. He didn't think anything of it until the big blond stooped down over him and took a deep sniff of his hair.

"What the fuck?" Levi jerked away from the contact, startled by it. "Why are you up in my shit, Mike?"

"Just checking," answered the blond. He walked away then, Leaving Levi staring after him with a bewildered expression.

"Checking for what, lice?" muttered Levi.

He almost went after him to demand a further explanation, but he stopped himself. Mike had always been a strange bird. Sniffing people was his thing, but Levi hadn't experienced having that snozzle in his face for a good, long while. Mike's comment gave him pause, as well. He stared after the big man as Mike turned the hallway to the right, heading for Erwin's office.

_~What the hell were you "checking", big stuff?~_

* * *

Erwin paused in typing his latest report as his deputy director entered his office.

"Good morning," he greeted.

Mike nodded, and he leaned up against the door as he closed it behind him. "It's Levi."

Erwin almost asked for clarification, but then it dawned on him what his friend was saying. "You're sure?"

Mike nodded again. "Yeah. He's not an imposter."

Erwin relaxed, trusting Mike's judgment. He didn't want to think otherwise, but practicality had forced him to that point. "Good. Thank you for the confirmation, Mike."

"Sure." Mike cocked his head inquisitively. "Can I just ask why you needed me to do that?"

Erwin sighed, and he stared blankly at the pen holder on his desk. "Levi's behavior of late gave me cause for concern. As we've had to presume his benefactor could be part of some scheme against the UFI, it occurred to me that he hasn't been acting like himself."

Mike frowned. "You really thought someone could duplicate his looks that thoroughly?"

"I don't know exactly what to think," admitted Erwin, "but I needed to be sure. I must sound like a mad man."

Mike shook his head slowly. Of all people, he knew how this suspicion must pain Erwin. "You were looking out for him."

Erwin appreciated the moral support from his friend. He smirked, and he clasped his hands together over his desk. He really didn't know what he would have done if Mike had come to him with news that their Levi wasn't really Levi. Had that happened, he would have probably ordered him detained and commenced with a frantic search for the real Levi. That wasn't the case, though. He should be able to relax, but Erwin found tension more difficult to be rid of than expected.

So Levi was himself, regardless of his behavior and memory lapses. Something must have happened to him though...something deeper beneath the surface than what they could see. Erwin trusted Hange and Moblit's medical expertise, but Erwin felt like even that wasn't enough to tell them what was going on. They were missing something, and if it wasn't medical, then it had to be psychological.

"You look bothered," observed Mike. He sniffed the air in Erwin's direction. "Smell bothered, too."

"I am," confirmed the director. "Something isn't right, Mike. Now that I have your confirmation on top of Hange's medical report, I can at least rule it out that we have an imposter in our ranks. I'm terribly concerned, however. I can't shake the feeling that we've missed something important. As much as I hate it, Levi is going to have to be closely monitored. We just need to be subtle about it."

Mike shrugged, stepping away from the door. "You're just being cautious, chief. He went missing for two weeks, and we still don't know what may have been done with him. Besides, it's Levi."

The hidden meaning behind Mike's final statement didn't need clarification to Erwin. Yes, it was Levi...and that was part of the reason Erwin was seeking answers. He couldn't call the small, intense man his own anymore, but he would never stop defending him and protecting him in his own way.

"I appreciate your support, old friend."

* * *

To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kudos and feedback! I'm surprised that this story has overtaken the others in update speed, but sometimes you've just got to go where the muses take you. ;-)

As the next week progressed, Levi found himself counting the days until his husband would return home from his musical tour. He missed the clumsy bastard so much that he nearly made an exception to the rule of no dogs in the bedroom. He started hugging Eren's pillow at night to help him sleep, finding his spouse's lingering scent comforting. Isabel and Farlan were good company and he was grateful to them for agreeing to come stay with him, but Levi was still pathetically lonely at night.

 _One more week to go_ , he kept telling himself. Just one more week and his titan brat would be back in his arms again. In the meantime, he busied himself with work and he took the dogs on daily walks, both in the morning after breakfast and at night when he got home. Madeline invited him for dinner at her place over the weekend, and Levi had a pleasant visit with her over a meal of spinach rigatoni. It did him some good, and he enjoyed the visit as he always did. Some people might have been shocked by how fond he was of his mother-in-law.

On Sunday, he set up a video call/date with Eren, and he decided to give him a very pleasant surprise.

* * *

"Whoa." Eren couldn't immediately formulate anything more articulate than that as he stared at the computer screen. Finally, he found his tongue. "You're all kinds of naked."

On the screen, Levi smirked. "Yeah. I've got a toy ready, too."

Eren swallowed, and he glanced at his hotel suite door to be sure he'd locked and bolted it. "Which one?"

Levi reached for something off the screen, his gloriously nude pecs flexing for a moment. He displayed for Eren the vibrating dildo they'd purchased just before Eren left for his tour.

"Haven't used it yet," admitted Levi, looking at the semi-transparent, orange-tinted device. "I'm getting too fucking desperate for your dick to keep putting it off, though. Last night I had a wet dream about you, and I must have unloaded a gallon of spunk on the sheets before I woke up and realized what happened."

Eren laughed, blushing. "Oh yeah? That must have annoyed the hell out of you."

"It did," confirmed the agent. The camera wobbled as Levi adjusted the angle of his cell phone to give Eren a fuller view of his body. Levi's cock was flushed and erect, lying against his lower abs. He parted his thighs and aimed the camera on his phone lower to show off his nethers. "Just seeing you right now turns me on. I've already prepped myself."

Eren could see that. Levi's tight little pucker was glistening with lube. Eren palmed his now straining package without even thinking about it. "What was I doing in this wet dream of yours, gorgeous?"

Levi's steely eyes became heavy-lidded, and he gave Eren a direct, shameless gaze. "You were fucking me into a coma."

Eren wiped at his mouth with his free hand, certain he was starting to drool a little. "If I were there right now, I'd make that dream come true. Fuck, you're hot."

"If you were here right now, I'd break you," promised Levi sensually. He ran the tip of the dildo over his body, from chest to groin. "Tell me what you want me to do, Jaeger."

"Put it in," rasped Eren immediately, his hungry eyes following the device's path.

"Hmm, someone's eager to get inside me. No foreplay, huh?"

"That can come once your tight little ass is filled to the brink," insisted Eren. He tugged down the zipper on his fly, and he popped open the button on his leather pants. "Do it slow for me, baby."

Levi obliged him, keeping his smoky gaze on the camera as he reached down under his balls to spread himself with his fingers. He prodded gently with the dildo, and then he eased it in. He moaned softly as it filled him one inch at a time.

"Eren...I'm imagining this is you doing this to me." Levi's voice was breathy and husky with obvious pleasure.

The singer groaned, and he eased his erection out of his pants to begin fondling himself. It wasn't going to take long for him to arrive, at this rate. He swore he had the sexiest lover on the planet. "Keep talking to me, Levi. Tell me what you'd want me to do to you."

"I'd want you to give my ass a good, hard spank," admitted the other man, pushing the dildo in deeper. He withdrew it to the tip, and then pushed it in again. "Then I'd want you to suck my nipples while you fill me up deep. You wouldn't start fucking me right away, though. You'd just hold it inside me and tease me 'till I scream."

"I'm making a note of that," gasped Eren sincerely. He'd do just as Levi suggested, the next time they were together again. "I think I'll tie you down while I'm doing it, too."

"Mmm, I like that," approved Levi. His eyes fluttered shut, and he eased the dildo the rest of the way in. "Fuck, it's so deep. Feels good."

Eren's face was now flushed with passion, and he trembled with the force of it. He started stroking off faster. "Play with your nipples."

Gasping softly, Levi did as advised, fondling each nipple alternately with the fingers of one hand, while fucking himself with the dildo with the other hand. He pinched the sensitive buds, making them both stand erect. "You got any lube? It'd make it better for you."

"Oh yeah." Eren had forgotten all about grabbing his lube, but then, he hadn't expected their video chat to go this way. "One sec, Captain. Keep doing that, okay?"

"All right," agreed Levi breathlessly, "but you'd better hurry, brat. I'm not gonna last long at this rate."

Eren knew exactly how he felt. He hastily got out of his chair and went to his suitcase to dig out the lubricant. He didn't even try to tuck himself back into his pants while looking for it. He squirted some into his palm immediately upon finding it, and he grabbed the wet wipes as an afterthought. Returning to his chair, Eren groaned out loud over the sight on the screen before him. Levi's head was lolling, and he was making desperate little sounds between gasps of pleasure.

"Eren," panted Levi, cracking his eyes open to gaze at him through their video link. "Aim your camera down a little. I want to see you jerking yourself off."

"God, this is so hot," declared the singer as he did as Levi asked. Eren had never been into phone sex, sexting, exchanging saucy pictures or having video sex before Levi came along. If it were anyone else, he might have felt too shy and awkward to do this. With his hunky hubby, however, it just came naturally to him. "Is the vibrate on your dildo turned on, Levi?"

"I was...waiting for you," answered the smaller man. "Can I take that to mean I have the green light to try it out?"

"Yeah. Turn it on high, gorgeous." Eren started beating off faster, watching intently as Levi reached down between his spread thighs to feel for the button controls on the dildo. It took him a minute, but Eren could tell immediately when Levi got it going by the way the captain's back arched.

"Shit," gasped Levi. "Fuck, that's intense. Think...I need to turn it down...a notch."

"No," ordered Eren, feeling wicked. "Leave it on high, sexy. I want to see you squirm."

Levi was already squirming, his hips jerking helplessly as the vibrating phallus hummed inside of him, stimulating his prostate.

"Eren, I'm gonna lose it," moaned Levi, grabbing a handful of the bedding. "It's...God, it's right against... _shit_!"

"Play with your nipples some more," suggested Eren. He would have given anything to be there in person right now, but he was sure if he were, he wouldn't be able to resist taking that thing out of his husband and replacing it with his cock. "Let me see that cute blush you get when those are teased, Levi."

Levi blurted a shaken moan, and he did as Eren requested. Circling his tightened pink nipples with his fingertips, he pumped his hips. His erection was shiny with precum, and more of the fluid dribbled out.

"Gonna come," announced Levi tightly. "E-Eren...fuck!"

"Keep going," insisted the singer. He tightened his jaw. Closer...closer...maybe they would come at the same time. He slicked his thumb over the tip of his cock, staring raptly as pink flooded Levi's cheeks. That blush was just too perfect. Eren groaned, thrusting into his gripping hand. He wanted to last, wanted to come with his husband.

"Give your dick a squeeze," suggested Eren. His voice sounded uncommonly rough to his own ears.

Levi obeyed him, pumping his hand up and down his hardened flesh. His breath caught, and he threw his head back. As soon as Eren witnessed the creamy fount spurting from his spouse's groin, he lost it. He cussed passionately, and he cupped his free hand over his dick to keep the mess from getting on the computer. Levi had taught him that trick the last time Eren went on tour, because he'd complained about the huge mess he'd made in his sleeping bunk on the tour bus.

Both gasping with relief, the two men caught their breath and recovered together, casting sated glances at each other through the video link. "So," Levi sighed at last, having turned off the vibration function on his toy after he came, "That phone thing you got me works pretty well, doesn't it?"

Eren didn't immediately get what he was talking about. "Phone thing? Oh, the mount! I forgot about that thing." He'd bought it for Levi so that the agent could listen to his tunes hands-free while driving his motorcycle, and he apparently realized that Levi had used both hands while sexually entertaining him.

"What's it mounted to?" wondered Eren, absently grabbing a wet wipe to clean himself up.

"It's strapped to my leg just above my knee." Levi smirked. "Hope I didn't jostle it too much while I was getting off. I tried to hold that leg steady for you."

"The screen wobbled a little—especially after you turned the vibrator on—but you were looking so hot I hardly noticed." Eren grinned. "That was some A-class porn you just treated me to, sexy."

"Heh." Levi eased the dildo out, set it down on a towel he'd laid out next to him on the bed, and wiped himself off. "Glad you had as much fun as me, you little sadist."

"How am I a sadist?"

"Because you had me turn that thing all the way up straight away," explained Levi, "and then you made me keep it up that high. Fuck, my prostate is still throbbing."

"But you enjoyed it," observed Eren. "You can't convince me otherwise."

"Yeah," admitted the agent. "I guess that makes me a masochist. So, did you like our date, Eren?"

"Hell yes, and I meant it when I said I'm going to take notes for later."

* * *

Hange noticed that Levi was moving a little gingerly when he came for his follow-up examination on Sunday. Being his doctor and quite the observant person, it didn't escape her notice that he looked a bit uncomfortable when sitting. She didn't call direct attention to it, but she couldn't resist prodding a little.

"So how was your weekend, Levi? Do you have any complaints we should address during this visit?"

Levi shrugged. "It was decent. My ass is a little sore because I used a sex toy for Eren yesterday for our video call."

Hange's eyes went wide for a moment at the candid response, and she laughed. Of course Levi wouldn't be shy about mentioning such personal information around her. He'd always been open and honest about it with her, and she appreciated his trust in her.

"Well, that certainly sounds...interesting. Do you boys do things like that a lot?" She checked the glands in his neck as she waited for his response.

"Sometimes, if we're apart longer than a week. Usually we'll just sext each other or beat off together over the phone. Shit, am I saying too much?"

"Not at all," Hange assured him with a grin and a wink. "You two have a very healthy sex life, Levi. I'm impressed that you fellows still seem to be in the honeymoon phase. Most couples slow down after a year."

"Like you and Moblit?" guessed Levi.

"Oh, I wouldn't say we've slowed down much," corrected Hange, "but we aren't quite as adventurous as you two, either."

"Try not getting any from each other for a month or longer," stated Levi dryly. "That'll fan the flames. Then when you see each other again, you'll be banging like rabbits."

"Hmm, I think you may be onto something," Hange said thoughtfully, new ideas taking root in her mind. "Thanks for the tip, Levi."

He gave her a sharp look. "I was kidding."

She smirked at him, and she warmed up her stethoscope for him. "I'm not. Maybe abstaining for a while will remind him how much he appreciates me."

Levi groaned. "Moblit's gonna love me for this one."

"He will when the sex gets so much better because of it...not that it isn't great as it is, but I'm always looking for ways to spice things up. Now, take some deep breaths for me, you cute little homo."

Levi did as instructed, though the look on his face said he thought she was out of her mind. Maybe she was, but there wasn't much Hange wasn't willing to try out. She finished up the examination, and she let him put his shirt back on.

"Okay, we're done. All the surface tests are good. I'll send you the lab work results as soon as they come in."

"Great." Levi hopped off the examination table, and he put his watch back on. "Make sure to send a copy to Erwin, too."

"Absolutely. Oh, and maybe you should pick up some topical cream for your butt when you leave here. Some over the counter hemorrhoid cream would probably work."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, four-eyes."

* * *

Levi went back to work on Monday, and Erwin received the checkup results from Hange. So far, everything looked normal and Levi was in good health. He hadn't reported any memory recollection from when he went missing, but his work performance was good despite how frustrated it must be making him. Erwin kept an eye on him for any signs of changes, unwilling to assume those blackouts were isolated incidents too soon.

Levi filed his reports on time, assigned field work appropriately and kept his team under tight regulation. If it had been anyone else, Erwin might have let go his concerns by now. His concern stemmed as much from love as from duty, though. True, he still harbored some romantic feelings for his ex, but the love he bore for him now came from a purer place than before. Simply put: Levi's safety and happiness was very important to Erwin.

Even if something were to happen that resulted in Eren Jaeger and Levi Ackerman parting ways, Erwin honestly couldn't see himself trying to swoop in. He'd established a trust and friendship with Levi unlike anything they'd shared in the past, and that meant more to him than the chance to ever get back with him again. Additionally, he was quite fond of Madeline and happy with her. He could never intentionally hurt her, and he'd already decided that the only way they were going to separate would be if she decided to end things herself.

None of this changed the simple, brutal fact that Levi was a very dangerous man. Erwin had to remind himself of this daily, had to put his feelings aside and force practical thinking. It didn't matter how adorable Levi was when he graced someone with his soft little "heh" chuckles. It didn't matter how endearing his devotion to the family he'd built with Eren was. It was of no consequence that Levi was, despite his surly nature, one of the most compassionate men Erwin had ever known.

No, for the good of everyone around him and himself, Levi had to be handled like a dangerous animal. One couldn't forget the damage he was capable of, no matter how much one might wish to. Erwin already had Mike checking Levi's scent throughout each work day to report if anything smelled off—a thing which annoyed Levi to no end. Erwin got the impression that he suspected what was going on.

Levi never said anything, but he'd started giving Erwin half-puzzled, half-suspicious looks in the hallways when they crossed paths at work. It made the director feel guilty, though he knew deep down that Levi would understand the need for this cautious scrutiny. He'd turned in his weapons without even being prompted to do so, after all. He knew he was a risk, and he obviously didn't trust himself completely. That was the most depressing part of this, for Erwin. Levi had never been anything less than confident of his own self-control and abilities. Seeing him treating himself as an enemy broke Erwin's heart.

_~But at least we know that it's really Levi, and not some doppelganger.~_

That at least gave Erwin some comfort. He hadn't even wanted to consider that possibility, but he couldn't rule it out without first being sure. With a sigh, he sat down at his desk and he retrieved the stack of takeout menus from his top drawer. He had to do as protocol dictated, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to be there for Levi as his friend. Erwin chose the deli he knew Levi liked, and he dialed the number to order a nice lunch for them both.

* * *

Levi was busily typing away at his laptop, filling out reports when Erwin stuck his head into his office. He saved his work and nodded at his superior. "Come on in. I was just finishing up the reports on the mission plan for Friday."

"Thank you." Erwin stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "I took the liberty of ordering lunch for us, if you're up for some company."

"Oh yeah? What'd you order?" Levi closed out the program for now. He hadn't even realized the time, and his stomach growled at the thought of food.

"I ordered from Lardo's."

Levi gave a start, and he stared at the blond. Seeing Erwin's mouth twitch he sighed. "Knee-slapper. You're a fucking riot."

"I just wanted to get a reaction from you," chuckled Erwin. "Actually, I ordered from the Pickle Platter. Your favorite from there is the turkey club on rye, if I'm not mistaken."

"Heh, asshole. Yeah, that's my favorite. Thanks."

Erwin helped himself to a seat in one of the armchairs on the other side of Levi's desk. "I didn't order you a drink because I know you find their tea too sweet. They'll be bringing it up to your office, when they arrive with the food."

"That's fine," assured Levi. "I'll grab a green tea from the cafeteria. You didn't have to buy lunch for me, you know."

Erwin shrugged. "You're cooking dinner for us tomorrow night, so I thought one good turn deserves another. We're still on for that, aren't we?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah. You and Mads can come over around eight. Dinner should be ready by then. We're having shrimp scampi. You like that, right?"

"That sounds wonderful." Erwin smiled. "Between you and Madeline, I hardly eat out for dinner any longer. The two of you could go into business together and have a five-star restaurant."

"Nice job sucking up," stated Levi dryly. "Our cooking isn't _that_ special."

"I was actually being sincere. I meant that, Levi. I don't know how you stay so fit, eating your cooking all of the time."

"Because I get a lot of exercise and I don't use lard to amp up the flavor." Levi shrugged. "Thanks for the compliment, though. Maybe after I retire I'll bring the thought up to Mads."

"You should," encouraged Erwin. "I think...oh, that could be the food. Allow me."

Someone had knocked on Levi's office door while Erwin was in mid-sentence, and he got out of his chair to go and answer it. "Oh, I was wrong," announced the blond when he opened the door to find the mail carrier on the other side. He took Levi's mail from him, thanked the man and closed the door. "Here you are, Levi."

"Thanks." Levi took the small stack of mail Erwin brought to him. He started checking through it, and he frowned when he found an envelope addressed to his business place with no return address. Erwin was speaking to him as he got out his letter opener to check that one first.

"I told Madeline that she worries too much," Erwin was saying, "but I suppose that's her right, when it comes to her sons. She's very fond of you, Levi, but I'm sure you know that already."

"Yeah. Madeline's great." Levi said it almost as an afterthought. Of course he knew Mother Jaeger liked him. Right now, he was too absorbed in checking his mail to do more than give a couple of polite responses. He frowned again as he opened up the envelope to find what appeared to be a folded letter. He opened it up to find something even more puzzling.

_~What the hell is this?~_

Levi stared at the words typed on the white paper, thinking it had to be some kind of prank.

_"dO IT noW."_

"Levi, is something the matter?"

Levi looked up from the piece of paper in his hand at the sound of Erwin's voice, and one thought began to dominate his mind.

_~It would be easy. He's right there. I have a sharp object. I could have it done and be gone in seconds.~_

Levi folded the paper back up, tore it into three pieces, and dropped it into his wastepaper basket. "Junk mail."

"I see. I get it at times too, even here." Erwin smirked. "It's amazing the lengths some advertisers will go through to shove products in our faces, isn't it?"

"I guess so." Levi tried to shrug it off, but the shaved hair at the base of his neck felt like it was standing on end. His disconcertion must have shown, because Erwin's vivid blue gaze sharpened on him.

"Was it something offensive?"

Levi shook his head. "No, just stupid...and I'm hungry. Hope the food gets here soon."

"It should be arriving at any moment. I'll go and get us some drinks from the cafeteria to go with our lunch."

Erwin got up again and started for the door. Levi stared at his back, and he winced as his ears began to suddenly ring. Frowning, he rubbed at his forehead with his fingertips. Something was wrong, and the surge of adrenaline he felt was unexplainable. It made no sense to him, and he found himself reaching for the letter opener whilst zeroing in on Erwin's broad back.

* * *

As cautious as he'd been trying to be regarding Levi and the situation, Erwin still didn't see it coming when it happened. He'd been bracing for Levi snapping against someone _else_ , but his confidence in the man's loyalty to him proved to be his foil. He was partway to the door when he heard Levi utter his name in a low, sensual tone that Erwin hadn't heard directed at him since the previous life.

"Hey, blondie."

Erwin turned to look at him, and he was startled by the look in his subordinate's heavy-lidded gray eyes. The last time Levi had looked at him that way had been in a different lifetime, and for some reason, he found it positively frightening.

"Levi?"

The raven-haired agent got up from his seat, and he slunk around the desk with the grace of a stalking panther. He held Erwin's gaze as he approached the suddenly confused blond, gazing up at him.

"It's nice that you've got such an interest in my health," Levi purred. "You still love me, don't you?"

Erwin blinked slowly at him, and against his conscious judgment, his heart rate increased. Christ, he'd forgotten how sensual Levi could be, and he was admittedly thrown off by this behavior.

"You know I do," said the director. "I've never made that a secret. What's this about?"

Levi reached up to cup the back of Erwin's head, and he pulled him down to whisper into his ear. Every instinct Erwin had screamed "Danger!" but he was snared like prey being stared down by a snake.

"I get lonely," murmured Levi. He pressed intimately up against the taller man. "You remember what happens when I don't get enough attention, right?"

Erwin's fine-tuned instincts were now scrambled. Everything about this was utterly wrong. Levi would never be unfaithful to Eren. The reason he'd fallen for the kid so hard was partly because Jaeger had been willing to give him the monogamous commitment that Erwin himself hadn't been willing to provide, so for Levi to act like this...

"Levi, stop," Erwin begged as the smaller man sucked on his earlobe without warning.

He raised his hands to try and gently push him away, and that was when he saw the glimmer of the knife. Levi's letter opener. They'd confiscated all of the agent's weapons, but even a simple thing like a pen or a letter opener was deadly in the hands of a trained fighter like Levi.

Erwin felt the sharp pain as the pointed metal drove into him, sliding between his ribs with a quick jab. His right lung got punctured, but it wasn't a mortal injury...yet. Erwin shoved Levi away from him and reached for his gun. He took aim, but he hesitated. Levi was staring at him with wide eyes, and then he looked down at the bloodied letter opener in his now-shaking hand.

"Levi," coughed Erwin, desperate to de-escalate the situation before it went beyond repair.

Levi looked up at him, and he made a quick warning gesture with his hands. "No. Stay the fuck away from me!"

Erwin was nothing if not determined. "No. I can't do that." He lowered his gun, and he reached out for his companion. "Let me help you, Levi. I know you didn't mean for this to happen."

Levi backed away, and he looked up at the ceiling briefly. "I mean it. Back off, you idiot!"

"I won't! Goddamn it, Levi, what are you doing?"

Erwin stumbled towards him as Levi jumped up, grabbed hold of the overhead sprinklers in case of fire, kicked in the air conditioning vent and flipped up into it. He made it look so easy it was surreal, and Erwin hardly felt the pain of Levi's attack or the blood slowly spreading over his shirt as he tried to reach him before he was gone.

"Levi! Get back here. That is an order!"

What might have worked in the past clearly no longer worked today. Erwin's bellowed command got completely ignored, and Levi was gone within seconds. Cursing, Erwin started trying to reach for his phone. His gun was still in hand, so he began to re-holster it, only to start losing his grip. Forgetting that he'd already un-clicked the safety, he shot himself in the foot...literally.

* * *

While they'd been anticipating the possibility of something like this happening, Hange was somewhat shocked when she got pulled away from the investigative project to tend Erwin's wounds. He was stoic about it and he looked somewhat embarrassed, but his concern for Levi trumped his own personal pain.

"I called it in as soon as I could," explained the director. "Levi was gone by then. He slipped out of the building before we could lock it down tight. The team sent to his and Eren's home reported his motorcycle gone, along with something he'd taken from a hidden stash in the back of his garage closet storage. We don't know for sure, but if I were to venture a guess, it's ODM gear he never checked in with."

Hange grimaced, in the process of measuring out a dose of painkiller and sedative for Erwin. "For fuck's sake, Erwin. Your response to all of this was to try and blow your own foot off?"

"I didn't 'try' to do anything, except detain Levi in time to stop him," defended Erwin. He hissed as Moblit got his bloodied shoe and sock off. "It happened quickly. One moment we were talking, and the next, he stabbed me."

Hange glanced over at him. "What were you two talking about?"

A telling flush crept up Erwin's cheeks. "It doesn't matter."

"Oh, yes it does." Hange finished filling the syringe, and she nodded at Moblit, who rolled Erwin's sleeve up and sterilized a spot on his inner elbow. "Something must have triggered Levi. We need to pinpoint what it was. I know you're in pain, but you need to try and focus. Think back on the moment, Erwin."

His jaw clenched, and he glanced around at the other agents in the room. "Could you give us some privacy, please?"

Nanaba nodded. "Of course, sir. Come on, guys. We'll wait outside."

"But, I want to hear what made Big Bro go off like that," insisted Isabel stubbornly. "Last time Levi tried to kill this guy was...uh, never mind."

Farlan had silenced her with a quick nudge of the elbow. "Let's go outside, 'Bel. They'll tell us what we need to hear later."

"Thank you," said Erwin appreciatively, though he was in obvious discomfort. I'll conduct a formal meeting about this, or Mike will. In the meantime, just be patient."

Hange waited for everyone—including Moblit—to leave, and then she rounded on Erwin. With the syringe still in hand, she asked her questions before injecting him with the pain suppressant. "So what happened?"

He sighed. "Honestly, I'm still trying to work that out. I'd ordered some takeout for us to eat at lunchtime. We were having a pleasant chat in his office, and then Levi came onto me."

Hange blinked at him, and she made a face. "He wouldn't."

Erwin looked even more miserable, if anything. His eyes became distant as he recalled the events. "He did, but he wasn't himself. The change in him was nothing less than startling. Our Levi would never have done that. I know this. He's whole-heartedly devoted to Eren. Yet..."

Hange felt a wave of sympathy. It was clear to her that this was hard on Erwin. "Go on, sweetheart."

Erwin sighed. "I was leaving for drinks when he came up behind me. I turned around when he called my name, and there was a strange look in his eyes. It only seemed strange to me because I'm frankly not used to seeing it from him anymore, but I swear to you now; he was gazing at me with a lovers' eyes."

Hange winced. "And you melted."

Erwin looked away. "You have to admit, Levi has some charm."

"Moderately," agreed Hange with a smirk, "and both you and the puppy are complete suckers for it. Please tell me you didn't act on it and this stabbing and shooting incident didn't happen because he came to his senses afterwards."

"Absolutely not," insisted Erwin vehemently. "I know that I allow lingering feelings to slip now and then, but I would never do that to him, or to Eren."

Hange nodded. "Just checking. Go on."

"I was terribly confused," Erwin went on, "and worried. I spoke up when it became clear to me that Levi was flirting and it wasn't just in my head, and in my distraction, I failed to notice the letter opener...until it was a moment too late."

He started to cough, and Hange quickly grabbed a sterile cloth for him to wipe his mouth with. "Okay, enough. Something triggered him, but we need to get you patched up before we work out what that was. You've got teams out there looking for him. He shouldn't get far."

Erwin raised an ironic brow at her. "It's Levi. He can get pretty fucking far without detection, Hange."

"It looks like someone's channeling our missing grump in his frustration," observed Hange shrewdly. She gave Erwin the injection, and she ruffled his hair familiarly. "In the end though, we're scouts. I can swear this to you, Erwin: there's no corner of the globe that Levi can travel without me finding it."

Erwin's eyes glazed over a bit as the pain medication took hold. He seemed to have trouble focusing on her. "Have I mentioned recently that you're frankly terrifying?"

"Just doing my part," she insisted. "Relax now. We'll get you patched up, and we can discuss this further later on."

* * *

Eren's worst fears were realized when he received a text from Mike. It was brief and to the point, as expected of a man of few words.

_"Erwin's in the hospital. Levi had an episode and attacked him. Call soon."_

Thank gods he hadn't gotten the message at intermission. Eren would have gladly cut the concert short, if he'd heard about this before they were finished. As it was, his reaction to Mike's vague news set his bowels on a violent flight to places unknown. Eren shamefully had to rush to the bathroom as soon as he received the text, nearly running down Jean in the process. He paid no attention to the offended guitarist's complaints as he charged through the door, locked it and proceeded to blow up the toilet.

Armin was of course waiting for him outside the door when Eren finally emerged from the bathroom, his usually olive skintone looking pasty.

"Eren?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to talk about it and explain," said the singer, pulling out his phone. "Something's happened to Levi, and I need to find out what's going on."

Armin looked genuinely concerned. "All right. We're here if you need us."

Eren nodded. "Thanks."

He left the venue they were at through the back exit, not even bothering with bodyguards. For once he ignored the shouting fans and the flash of cameras, focused only on finding a quiet, private spot to talk on the phone and get some answers. He made it onto the tour bus, locked himself into the luxury area in back reserved for the band alone, and he first tried calling Levi. When that resulted in no answer, he decided to call Hange next. He liked Mike well enough, but the man's short, clipped answers weren't enough to satisfy the questions on Eren's mind.

"Come on, pick up," he muttered through his teeth.

As if on cue, the other end clicked and Hange's voice spoke into the phone. "Eren, I was just considering calling you! Something's happened and—"

"Yeah, Mike texted me," interrupted the singer. "Where's Levi? How's Erwin?"

"We don't know where Levi is," sighed Hange. "As for Erwin, he's stabilized and he'll be fine. He suffered a minor puncture to the right lung, but it wasn't severe and he's out of surgery. He wanted to call you about this himself, but I wouldn't give him his phone because he's so groggy right now, he might have told you Levi went to the moon or something."

Eren might have found that funny under different circumstances. As it was, he couldn't manage so much as a hint of a smile. "So what happened? He couldn't have just shown up for work and gone mental. Something had to have caused it!"

"As far as we're able to tell, it was a subliminal trigger," answered Hange. Erwin was coherent enough to tell us Levi got a piece of mail that seemed to bother him, just before the attack. Petra found it in Levi's rubbish basket, torn up but salvageable. Someone sent him a note saying 'do it now' on a plain piece of paper. There weren't any fingerprints and since it was printed out, no way to identify handwriting. This was arranged by an outside enemy, Eren. My best guess is that woman who 'took care of' Levi after he vanished is more involved in it than we suspected."

Eren thought of all his husband's strange behavioral episodes. He felt sick. "Hange, has Levi been brainwashed? Is he some sort of sleeper agent, like you'd see in the movies?"

"I'm afraid that's the gist of it," she confirmed. "Levi vanished after his attack on Erwin. His motorcycle is gone as well. Apparently there was a hidden cache of weapons inside your garage storage closet, and Levi ransacked that before vanishing. You wouldn't happen to know what was in it, would you?"

Bewildered, Eren sunk down on the lounge. "No. I didn't know about any stash he might have been keeping! I thought he turned in all of his weapons."

"So did we," sighed Hange. "It would be helpful to know what was in that compartment, but we're just going to have to operate on assumption here, I suppose. Whoever set this up apparently was trying to get to Erwin, or at least throw a rock in the spokes of the UFI wheels. Erwin was who he went for first when he got that letter, so unless Commander Handsome just happened to be in the way, we can assume he's a target."

"God..." Eren couldn't think of anything else to say. His beloved captain had turned on them and was now out there somewhere, plotting to bring down the UFI because someone got their hands on him and managed to break his mind. It was too much to take. Eren thought that of all people, Levi would be the last person to succumb to something of that nature.

"Eren, don't lose hope," advised Hange. "I know this looks really bad, but now we have the confirmation we needed that something's definitely been done to him. In addition, think about this: Levi never misses when he strikes. If he was beyond our reach right now, then Erwin would be dead. He deliberately avoided a killing blow, and Erwin said he seemed to snap out of it for a second after he attacked him with that letter opener. He didn't want Erwin anywhere near him, and I think that's ultimately why he fled."

Eren swallowed a lump in his throat. "So you think he's hiding out now to keep people safe?"

"Knowing the grump, he took off to go and try to hunt down the people who did this himself," answered Hange. "I can only imagine how pissed off that little guy must be, right now. Someone made him attack a man he was willing to follow into hell, and that means they've put you in danger as well. That isn't something Levi is going to just let go."

Hange's words were of some comfort to the distraught singer. It made sense. "So if we find the people that did this to him, we should find him, too."

"That, or he'll find us," said Hange grimly. "If they've subliminally implanted a directive in his mind to go after Erwin or other UFI agents, then he'll re-appear on his own, whether he consciously wants to or not. It would be in everyone's best interest for us to find him first. But you just let us worry about that, Eren. Don't come rushing home early. It's probably safer for you to keep on with your tour right now."

Eren sighed. He wished he could comply with that advice, but it wasn't possible when his husband was out there somewhere, mentally compromised with God only knew what kind of weapons at his disposal.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi: "I'm hornier than a cat in heat and completely pathetic." *molests Eren's pillow*
> 
> Eren: "Whoo-hoo, live hubby porn! Yes!!" (♥ω♥ ) ~♪
> 
> Armin: "Excuse me Eren, but—"
> 
> Eren: *beating off* "I'm busy, go away!"
> 
> Hange: "So how was your weekend, Levi?"
> 
> Levi: "Eren and I had video sex, and now I'm so sore I can hardly walk."
> 
> Hange: (*ﾟﾛﾟ) "...okay, Moblit and I need to try that sometime."
> 
> Erwin: "I think Levi might be suspicious."
> 
> Levi: (〠_〠) "Why do you keep having Mike sniff me, you creep?"
> 
> Erwin: "It's fine. Just routine observation. Anyways, you seem perfectly in control. Let me present my back to you as the perfect target while I get us some drinks."
> 
> Levi: *Pounce*
> 
> Erwin: "WTF Levi??? Stop! As your superior, I order you to...oh, look at that. I just shot a hole in my own foot."
> 
> Hange: "Erwin, how are we supposed to tackle this with you trying to shoot off your own body parts? Focus, would you?"
> 
> Mike: *sniff* "Saw this coming."
> 
> Petra: "At what point did you consider telling the rest of us?"
> 
> Hange: ＼(;ﾟ∇ﾟ)/ "Let the stalking of Levi commence!
> 
> Erwin: "...I'm not sure that's going to endear him to our good intentions, Hange."
> 
> Hange: "You might have brought it up at a meeting or two. Sweet dreams, fair prince."
> 
> Erwin: (×_×;）*knocked out*


	6. Chapter 6

The door buckled and slammed open inwardly from the force of the kick aimed at it. Standing in the threshold, Levi kept his hands on the trigger mechanisms of his ODM gear. He had a sharp look around at the empty front room before stepping inside. Walking slowly through the house, senses alert, he sought out any trace of a clue that might lead him to some answers. His UFI associates had already been here for the same thing, and Levi trusted Erwin when the man said they didn't find anything substantial. Still, he needed to see it for himself. Perhaps they'd overlooked something in their search. He checked to see if the electricity was still on, and it was. He turned lights on as he went, taking the risk that it might attract attention outside. He needed answers.

As he moved through each room, Levi's frustration grew. There was nothing. He couldn't find one damned trace that anyone had been here. Even the blood they'd allegedly found had been cleaned up, probably by the agency. He still had one more room to check, though. Susan's bedroom had been through that last door he still hadn't checked out. He opened it, and he searched the area from top to bottom. Nothing. Not even a strand of hair.

He sighed, and he combed his fingers through his hair, wondering where to go from here. He was shaken, confused, frustrated and he honestly didn't know what to do. He was so distracted by his increasingly desperate thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind him until a voice spoke.

"I thought I would find you here."

Levi whirled, ready to attack. He stopped when he saw Erwin standing there, dressed sharply in his work suit and looking annoyingly suave. Levi took a slow breath, and he eased his hands away from his trigger handles.

"Keep your distance," warned the Special Agent in Charge.

"I won't come any closer," assured Erwin.

It was then that Levi noticed the cast on Erwin's right foot, and the crutches he was using. He ogled the blond, even more confused than before. "What the fuck happened to your foot? Don't tell me I did _that_ too."

"Actually, I did that," explained Erwin ruefully, glancing down at the injury. "After your...episode yesterday, my gun went off and shot me in the foot. I think that's the first time I've ever had an accidental discharge."

"You were gonna shoot me?" Levi rolled his eyes at his own foolish question. "Of course, you were going to shoot me. I fucking stabbed you." He frowned, taking a cautious step closer to have a better look at the man. Erwin was standing a little stiffly, as if his side pained him.

"How bad did I get you? What the fuck are you doing on your feet, let alone coming here looking for me?" Levi scowled at him. "Do you have a death wish, or what?"

"I'm acting on a gut feeling," answered the taller man evenly. "We found the note that triggered you, Levi. I don't know if it's the font or the wording on it, but something about that message set you off. Am I right?"

Levi briefly shut his eyes. "I guess so. I opened it up and thought someone was pranking me. Next thing I knew, I had my letter opener in my hand and I...I..."

Levi trailed off. This incident had differed from the previous ones, because he'd actually been partially aware of what he was doing. It was foggy and confusing, but he remembered approaching Erwin and...

"Look, that wasn't me back there," he said at last. He couldn't decide if he felt worse about stabbing Erwin, or about possibly coming onto him. "I don't remember all of it and my brain could just be making bullshit up trying to piece it together, but if I did what I think I did, I need you to know...shit, Erwin, I would never—"

"It's all right, Levi," said Erwin gently, holding a hand up. "I know. You were the instrument of the attack, but it wasn't your doing. As for the rest, I'm sure the subliminal suggestion is to blame for that as well."

"Fuck, so I'm not just imagining it. I tried to seduce you."

"No, I think you were trying to kill me." Erwin smirked. "The flirtation just allowed you to move in close. Someone wanted you to end me, and you used what was at your disposal to see it through."

His reasoning, while sound, only made Levi feel worse. "I'm so fucking sorry, chief. Look at you." He gestured at the bigger man. "Look what I did to you, and I couldn't fucking stop myself."

Erwin's expression softened. "But you did, Levi. You held back. You fought it. If you hadn't been strong enough to resist the compulsion, I would be the guest of honor at my own funeral right now."

"So I didn't hit anything vital?" asked Levi, not denying the observation that he'd tried to stop himself.

"A minor lung puncture, but they were quick to mend it."

Levi's jaw tightened. "That's not minor. You shouldn't be here."

"You've said that already, but I had to come. I've been watching the place, hoping you would show up after nightfall. I'm glad you didn't disappoint."

"I guess you know me too well." Levi glanced up at the dim overhead light, checking it as he had the others, just in case there was something around there he might find. There was nothing, of course. "So what happens now?"

"I would like for you to come back to headquarters with me," was the unsurprising answer. "Let us help you, Levi. You don't have to be on the run and on your own. We can contain you and keep a close eye on you while we look for answers."

Levi very much wanted to believe Erwin could help him. He wanted to take the hand being extended to him. His eyes went to the cast on Erwin's foot, and he shook his head. "No. I've got to stay away from all of you until I find the fuckers that did this to me and make them unscramble my brains. It's too dangerous. Look what I did to you."

"You nicked me with a letter opener," insisted Erwin. "The gunshot wound was the fault of my clumsiness. You aren't far gone yet, and the agency can see to it that you can't hurt yourself or anyone else. Please, Levi. Trust me, and trust _us_. There's no shame in admitting you need help."

Levi backed away. He wanted to go home to his dogs. He wanted to be with his friends without worrying he might try to cut their throats. Most of all, he wanted Eren. To see his smile, to hear his embarrassed laughs when he said or did something stupid, to ruffle his hair. Just to do that right now would have been a blessing to him, but he had a responsibility to his family and to his friends. He had to ensure their safety by staying away from them.

"Don't try to follow me," warned Levi when he saw the comprehension in Erwin's gaze. "Go home. Rest up. No matter who finds the people responsible for this, whether it's me or the investigative teams, we're going to need you in top form. No more fucking shooting yourself."

Erwin tried to stumble after him as Levi went to the window, yanked it open and climbed out of it.

"Levi, please!"

He could hear the frustration in his former commander's voice, the desperate need to help. Erwin _couldn't_ help him right now, though. Levi fired his grapplers into the roof of a nearby house as Erwin stuck his head out the window, calling after him. Levi looked back at him with a flash of regret in his eyes, and he offered him one final, soft request.

"Watch after Eren for me until this is over. Tell Isabel and Farlan to stay at our place as long as they want. I'd appreciate them and Mads taking care of the dogs until Eren comes home. He'll need company. Tell him..."

Levi swallowed. Fuck, this was hard. He'd seen Erwin Smith look like he was on the verge of tears before, but never quite like this. Levi could only imagine how his behavior from yesterday must have fucked with Erwin's head, and not just the stabbing part.

"Tell Eren I love him," managed Levi at last. Those words were typically reserved for private moments between himself and his spouse, not something he would convey aloud to others. "And stop beating yourself up, Smith; both figuratively and literally. Tell shitty-glasses to take good care of you."

With those words said, Levi pressed some buttons and sped off through the air, taking to rooftops and heading to where he'd hidden his bike.

* * *

"Well, fuck."

Erwin stood there hunched over with his head out the window, staring off in the direction Levi had gone. He'd taken a gamble coming to this place alone. The only reason Erwin hadn't taken anyone with him was because he thought he'd have a better chance at reasoning with Levi if he was by himself. His hunch that the captain would lay low for a while before coming here paid off, but he'd failed at his mission.

"At least he didn't stab me," sighed the director.

He ducked back into the house, shut the window and hobbled out. There was no point in lingering. He stopped once he was outside, and he called Mike. No sense in calling a cab when he could just get a ride from a coworker.

"It's me," Erwin said when Mike picked up. "I just found Levi, but he fled again."

* * *

It was very hard for Eren to make the decision to finish the final three shows of their localized tour. He kept telling himself that surely within a week, the UFI would find Levi and have a lead on who tampered with his mind. He tried to keep the faith in them—especially Hange—to track his husband down and get him the medical help he needed. He'd very nearly cancelled those last concerts, but his friends talked him out of it. Mikasa reasoned that if Levi was a danger to others, Eren shouldn't risk putting himself in harm's way. Armin reminded him that Levi wouldn't want him canceling his tour, and Jean and Connie both didn't think Eren could do anything to help Levi even if he crossed paths with him.

Then, there was Hange. She'd promised Eren that she was going to do everything in her power to find Levi and track down those responsible for his condition. She'd also strongly advised him to let them handle this.

Eren decided to take their advice, even though it hurt his heart to do so. The first thing he did was call his mom and let her know what was going on. He would have asked her to take the dogs for him until he could get home, but she had three cats and he didn't know how the animals would react to each other. Instead, he advised her not to check in on Lena and Luka anymore at lunchtime until either he returned home or they found Levi. The spray of questions she aimed at him made it that much harder on Eren. Madeline had demanded to know what happened to her son-in-law and how she could help, and it was all Eren could do to convince her not to get involved.

Now he was sitting staring blankly at his reflection in the mirror, waiting to go onstage for one of his three final concerts. His hair had grown longer, he realized. He should cut it soon, or Levi might complain.

Levi...his Levi. Eren missed him so much. He predicted that tonight's show was bound to be filled with heartfelt ballads. People in the audience might even get up and leave. He just didn't feel like churning out the rock. Eren heaved a sigh, and he propped his elbows on the vanity table to drop his chin into his palms. Absently, he realized why his husband always compared him to a puppy. He stared into his own soulful green eyes, and he thought he was a pathetic mess.

_~I just want him back. Let me have him back.~_

Someone came up behind him, and Eren hardly noticed until a pair of pale hands squeezed his shoulders. He looked through the mirror at Mikasa as she bowed over him to kiss the crown of his head affectionately.

"Only a couple of minutes to go," reminded the bassist softly. She didn't ask what was on his mind. She'd probably already guessed.

"Thanks," said Eren morosely. He heaved another sigh. "Mikasa, am I really doing the right thing? If the tables were turned, Levi sure as shit wouldn't stay away from Tarsus Valley, no matter what he was away doing. He'd go right home and start looking for me. Don't say he wouldn't."

She circled around and dropped gracefully into Eren's lap, sidelong. Her dark eyes were sympathetic on Eren, and she combed her fingers through his hair. "You're right. Levi would be out looking for you as soon as he got news you were missing. He's not you though, Eren. This is different. We all know how much you love him, but given the circumstances, your safety is what matters the most. I know the captain would say the same, and so do you."

"Yes, but—"

She shushed him, pressing two fingertips against his lips. "Eren, there's nothing you can do for him, even if you went straight home. I know you're frustrated and worried, but keeping yourself safe is the best way to honor Levi. Please, stop tormenting yourself."

Jean came into the dressing room, and he halted upon seeing the position the two of them were in. A "WTF" expression came over his long features. "What the hell are you two doing?"

Mikasa looked up at her boyfriend, and subtle annoyance clouded her lovely features. "What does it look like? Eren's upset, so I thought I'd give him a lap dance."

Jean's face colored, and Eren nudged Mikasa prudently off of his lap. Jean had always been a little jealous of his relationship with Mikasa, and ordinarily the singer would have called him out on it. This time, however, he gave Jean grace. How would he have felt if he'd walked in on Levi sitting in Erwin's lap, for example. He couldn't really fault his guitarist for his feelings.

"Don't fight, guys. Jean, you know I'm head-over-heels for Levi, and Mika's crazy about you. She was just being a friend, okay?"

"She couldn't do it without straddling you?" muttered Jean huffily, folding his arms over his chest.

Now Eren was starting to get pissed. He closed in on the taller man, and he glared at him. "First off, she wasn't 'straddling' me, and if you're so insecure she can't show affection to anyone else without you flying off the handle, maybe she ought to kick your ass. You're lucky to have her."

"What, are you afraid to 'kick my ass' yourself, Jaeger?" Jean sneered.

Mikasa inserted herself between the two of them as they bowed up at one another. "Enough. Eren, settle down. I can handle this. Jean, quit being so damned jealous. You know things aren't like that between me and Eren, and I'm not going to waste time reminding you of it every time I give him a hug."

Jean looked faintly chagrined, and he scratched the back of his head. "You've got to admit most guys wouldn't be okay with finding their girlfriends sitting in another guy's lap, Mika."

"Most people don't have the history we all share together," she pointed out.

Jean narrowed his eyes. "Most girlfriends didn't harbor a massive crush on the guy they're trying to comfort, either."

Mikasa didn't waste further vocabulary attempts on Jean. Instead, she socked him square in the jaw and sent him crashing into a chair. Eren's mouth fell open, and at first, he couldn't move. He then realized Mikasa wasn't finished with Jean. She was bowing up on him as he flailed in confusion trying to get back on his feet. Eren came up behind her, and against his better judgment, he caught her up from behind in a tight embrace. He'd been mostly kidding when he'd suggested she kick Jean's ass earlier, but it looked like she was serious.

"Mikasa, cut it out! Beating the shit out of him won't solve anything!"

"Let go of me, Eren. I'm tired of this nonsense."

Armin came in at that moment, and upon seeing Jean on the floor rubbing his jaw, Mikasa looming over him and Eren trying with all his might to hold her back, his jaw practically hit the floor.

"What are you _doing_? You're on in less than a minute! What's this all about?"

All three of them went still. Armin was practically livid, red in the face with his wide blue eyes blazing.

"Do you know what? I don't want to hear it," snapped the blond. "This ridiculous rivalry between you has gone on for long enough! Get your temperamental asses out on that stage in time, or I'm going to cut the wages earned from this show!"

Armin stomped out, leaving them all stunned stupid. Mikasa was the first to recover. She glared down at Jean. "We're finished."

Jean reached out for her as she stalked past. "M-Mikasa, wait!"

Eren felt supremely sorry for the guitarist, and he regretted his part in the entire ordeal. He bit his lip, and he offered a hand up to Jean. "Sorry, man."

Jean accepted his help, and he grunted as he rose to his feet. He heaved a sigh, his face lined with anxiety and a bruise forming rapidly on his jaw. "Shit, can that girl ever pull a swing. I didn't know she was that annoyed with me. Now I've fucking lost her."

Eren grimaced. "Well, after she socked you like that, are you sure you still _want_ her?"

Jean gave him a narrow-eyed look askew. "Levi's kicked the shit out of you more than a few times, but you still want him."

Eren winced at that reminder. "Yeah, but it was always for my own good." He suddenly laughed. "I think we're both hopeless, Jean."

Jean smirked, and he rubbed his jaw. "Must be that Ackerman charm." He sighed, his face falling into a morose expression. "Sorry, Eren. I know I'm too territorial with her sometimes, and I know neither of you would do anything. It was just an upsetting scene to walk in on, 'cause I know how she used to feel for you."

"Don't worry about it," soothed Eren, again feeling sorry for him. "I'll try talking to her after the show. You guys have been together for a good while, and I think if you just talk, it'll be okay. I don't want to see you break up."

Jean nodded. "I'd appreciate that. You're probably the only one she'll listen to right now. Again, I'm sorry for being a dick."

"Old habits are hard to break," reasoned Eren with a grin. "We're good. Oh shit, intermission's over. We'd better get back on stage."

"Yeah." Jean clapped him on the back. "Let's do it."

* * *

While Eren was trying to concentrate on performing for the crowd, Erwin arranged a private meeting with Hange, Moblit and some of his UFI agents.

"So, let me get this straight," Hange said to Erwin once he finished explaining everything. "You had an idea where we might find him, didn't share this with anyone and went there alone. Levi showed up, talked to you and then fled."

Erwin sighed, and he rubbed his temples. "I know, I should have shared my hunch with the rest of you. I just didn't want him to feel cornered if I was right; especially in an unstable frame of mine. Look at what happened to me when he snapped. Imagine how much worse it could have been if he felt like he had to fight several people."

"Still shouldn't have gone by yourself," grunted Mike. "You could have had some of us waiting on stand-bye."

"I agree, that was reckless," said Nanaba. "What if he'd snapped again and attacked you, boss? You're in no condition to fight him off."

"In hindsight, I realize that now," stated Erwin calmly. "I'd hoped to reason with him. Levi has always been as loyal in this life as he was in the last, and I suppose I thought that might work in my favor enough to convince him to come back. Now he's at large again, and..." he trailed off, grimacing in pain as his next indrawn breath irritated his sutures.

"All right, you need to get some rest," Hange decided sternly. "You should go home, Erwin, or go to Madeline's and let her take care of you. Does she know about what happened, by the way?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Eren spoke with her already. I don't think she's very pleased with me right now."

"Well, you didn't tell her right away when her son in law went MIA," reasoned Hange, "and you know how fond she is of Levi. She must be worried sick."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you," encouraged Petra. "If nothing else, she'll be concerned about your injuries, sir. I think Hange is right; you should go to Mrs. Jaeger's and let us handle tracking Levi down."

"If you give us the location you last saw him, Hange and I might be able to pull something up on satellite and see where he went from there," offered Moblit. "We can look at the stored data from the time you encountered him and go from there."

Erwin pulled out his phone, too tired and hurting to argue with them. He sent a text to Hange with the address in it. "All right. Contact me the moment you find anything, all right? Hopefully whomever set this infiltration up hasn't gotten to those feeds to wipe them out yet. It stands to reason that Levi's abductors could be monitoring his movements as well, and they aren't going to want us to find him before they can enact whatever their next move will be."

He looked to Farlan and Isabel. "You two might be better off leaving the Jaeger home, for now. Take the dogs with you if you can, and watch over them. If Levi attacked me, he could do the same to you if he happens to return home at any point while you're there."

They looked at each other uncertainly. "Shit," muttered Farlan. "I guess we could do that. Our apartment's not very big, but short of boarding the dogs somewhere, we don't have many options."

"We'd better tell Eren," sighed Isabel. "I'd hate for him to get home early and freak out wondering where his dogs are."

"He'd better _not_ return early," said Erwin morbidly. "Hange, have you spoken with him about that?"

"Yes, and I think I convinced him that he's better off finishing the tour and letting us handle this." She shrugged and spread her hands. "But who knows? It's Eren. He's never had a very strong sense of self-preservation, and this is the love of his life we're talking about, here. I'll call and check on him tomorrow."

"Good. If he does decide he absolutely can't stay away, make sure you stress to him that he's to check in with us before going home. If we have to, we can put him up in a protection suite here at headquarters until Levi is found."

"Good idea," approved Hange.

There was nothing more Erwin could do, unfortunately. He excused himself and left the meeting room, trusting in his comrades to do their best to track Levi down. His heart ached with each footstep as he made his way to the elevator. He'd never seen Levi so uncertain, before. There had never been a time when the man had demonstrated so little confidence in his own abilities. Even when Eren got captured while Levi was trying to protect him, the captain had gone after him without a second's hesitation. Now he was out there somewhere alone, fighting for mental autonomy and trying to find answers.

"We'll find you," murmured Erwin as he stepped onto the elevator, "and we'll find the people responsible for this, Levi. This is my promise to you."

* * *

It was disgusting, but Levi couldn't afford to be overly picky about his mode of travel. He dropped lightly down into the sewer, taking to the underground in favor of traveling the surface. He was no fool. He knew that someone could track him through satellite imagery if he stayed out in the open, and besides that, he was rather conspicuous in his form-fitting black uniform with his gear strapped on. He'd already had to improvise and say he was a sci-fi actor on break between shoots when he'd stopped for gas and gotten stared at hard by the service station employee. Then the man started asking interested questions, and Levi made up some bullshit about the plot of the film being about some kind of star pirate.

"Keep your day job, Levi," he grumbled to himself, looking up and down the dimly lit tunnel he was in. He really had no penchant for creative improvising. He'd borrowed the theme of the last movie he and Eren had watched together and he said they hadn't locked in the title yet when the guy asked what it was going to be called.

Of course, thinking of the movie he'd watched with Eren, snuggled up to him on the couch, made the agent miss his husband even more. He wondered what Eren was doing right now. If he had the date right, "Remember the Titans" should have a concert tonight. Levi almost impulsively texted Eren several times already, just to let him know he was all right. He'd stopped himself, though. Even using a new pre-paid phone, it was too dangerous to risk contacting his husband yet. The agency would be counting on him doing that at some point, and once he did, they would try to use Eren's phone to trace the number back to Levi. They could get past the obstacle of it showing up as an unknown number, with their technology. For all Levi knew, the enemy that did this to him might have figured out a way to monitor Eren's phone as well.

"Shit, I hope someone's thought of that possibility and told Eren to buy a new phone until they can issue him a secured one from the agency."

He was sure someone would think of it eventually; if not Erwin, then shitty-glasses might. Levi stopped in his tracks as his mind raced. He hadn't thought to tell Erwin to assign an agent to Eren for his protection. He should have considered that! Levi leaned against the damp tunnel wall, and he tilted his head back and shut his eyes. He had no idea where to go or what to do. He was operating on instinct, but he didn't have any leads to point him in the right direction. He'd parked his motorcycle in a garage before hitting the sewers, paying for a week's rental of a parking spot. They'd find it eventually, but he wasn't worried about that. He'd been putting aside cash in his secret cache for months now, just in case of emergency. He had enough to get by for a while without needing to hit an ATM or use his card, so he had that base covered.

None of this helped ease his concerns about Eren, though. Levi's main reason for keeping an emergency cache and holding on to unregistered gear was to use if anyone went after Eren again, or if enemy agents somehow took over his UFI branch. He hadn't really thought he would need to make use of it. He'd even considered his own actions slightly paranoid, but Levi learned a long time ago that it was better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not have it.

"What the fuck am I even doing?" he sighed. Maybe he should have just gone with Erwin. There was no telling when he might have another episode, or who he might hurt around him if he did. It felt almost like compulsion, though. Everything in him had screamed that he couldn't allow the agency to lock him up, that he _had_ to find the answers himself.

"Christ," whispered Levi, cracking his eyes open and widening them as a horrible thought came to mind.

 _~What if the decision to leave that house instead of going with Smith wasn't really_ mine _? What if it was an implanted suggestion, and I'm falling right into enemy hands by striking out on my own?~_

It sounded like some crazy conspiracy plot from a movie, but given recent events, Levi didn't think it was too far-fetched. He'd acted without even having to think about it, which was strange considering how irresolute he'd been since this all started.

_~I should go back. I should get my bike and just go straight to Headquarters. Turn myself in, give Hange the chance to do more medical scans she might have up her sleeve. Maybe she missed something the last few times because I hadn't had any blackouts. Something might have changed that she could pick up on.~_

At once, Levi reached up and touched the back of his head, where the so-called "nurse" had stitched up the cut left by someone hitting him from behind. He pressed against the spot with a frown, feeling around the area gingerly. Levi thought he could feel the tiniest bump under the skin. It could just be scar tissue. He pressed a little harder to see if it would move, and something...happened. It was like a jolt went through him, and then pain lanced through his skull. He groaned and clutched at his head, sinking to his knees. It was blinding. It hadn't been bothering him at all before, but now that he'd examined it more closely, it was like he'd set off a migraine by doing so.

With suddenly shaking hands, Levi opened up the zipper pouch attached to his gear harness and felt around for his replacement phone. Strange mental images started flashing through his mind, faster than he could cope with. He saw his comrades bloody and sightless in death, he saw a face he never thought he'd have to see again, and he knew he was in trouble.

"Erwin," he groaned, trying to focus enough to recall the director's cell phone number. He hadn't saved any contacts for fear that if he lost this phone, someone might find it and contact the agency about it. Levi cursed when he miss-typed on the first try, and he tried again. He put the phone to his ear when it started to ring on the other line, and he realized something wasn't right about his first impulse. He should be calling four-eyes right now, not the man he'd nearly killed.

"Erwin Smith speaking," came the deep voice on the other line.

Levi parted his lips, hesitating.

"Hello?" pressed Erwin...then more softly: "Levi, is it you?"

_~The bastard's got sharper intuition than anyone I know. Fuck, I should hang up.~_

Instead, Levi spoke in a faintly slurred voice, finding speech uncommonly difficult. "Erwin...I'm in trouble."

"Where are you?" demanded the blond. "What's happening, Levi?"

"Don't know," answered Levi. "Head hurts. I think...whatever they did...to me under the stitches..."

The pain came back, arching through his head like electricity. Levi cried out.

"Levi, just stay where you are," Erwin said urgently. "I'll have someone come to you. Can you tell me your location?"

"Sewers," gasped Levi, struggling to remain conscious. "I'm in...the sewer system at...at..."

It was too much for him. Everything started going black, and then his vision went white around the edges a second later. There was a ringing in his ears, and against his will, Levi got back to his feet. He heard Erwin calling his name on the other line. He began to walk to the next junction, and he dropped his phone. It was like being in a dream, and Levi was powerless to halt his own purposeful strides.

Back behind him at the edge of the water, his phone lay forgotten with Erwin still on the line.

* * *

"Levi! Levi, speak to me!"

Madeline watched anxiously as Erwin tried to get further response from her son in law. After several moments, he cursed and he pulled the phone away to stare down at it. "I've lost him. The line is still open, but I think Levi dropped the phone. He could be unconscious."

"Use my phone," she urged. "Call the agency and keep the line open on yours. They might be able to trace it, right?"

"Good thinking." Erwin took the phone she offered him, and he dialed Mike's number by memory.

"I'll keep trying to get a response from Levi while you do that," offered Madeline. Erwin nodded and handed her his phone. "Levi, sweetheart? It's Mads. Are you there? Please, talk to me."

While she tried to get Levi talking again, Erwin spoke to his deputy director. "Mike, it's me."

"I was just about to call you, chief," said the other blond. "Moblit and Hange found something in satellite relay. They managed to trace back to when you ran into Levi, and they used the back-data to track him. He stopped for gas, parked his bike and went into the sewers through the manhole cover at 93rd and 14th."

"Yes, I know," Erwin said.

"What do you mean, 'you know'?" asked Mike. "Nobody's had a chance to contact you yet. We _just_ got this information."

"I know he's in the sewers because he just called me from an unknown number," explained Erwin hastily. "Something's happened to him, and he became unresponsive in mid-conversation. I'm still online with his phone. Madeline is trying to get a response from him. Send someone to that location as soon as possible to search for him, and send Hange and Moblit over here to Madeline's with tracing equipment to try and track this number."

"Got it. I'll take Nanaba and Petra with me to try and retrieve him," answered Mike. "We'll keep you updated."

* * *

Hange nearly banged down the door when she arrived at Madeline's place with Moblit. The other woman answered the door right away to let them in, and one of her cats scampered under a chair hastily.

"He's in the kitchen," said Madeline. "The call dropped, unfortunately. I don't know if Levi's phone got damaged somehow, or if it just ran out of battery."

"That's okay," Hange soothed. "As long as it stayed connected for a few minutes, we can probably still trace it."

She followed Madeline into the kitchen, where Erwin sat at the table, staring grimly down at the phone resting on the surface of it. He glanced up when Hange and Moblit entered. "I tried to call it back when I lost the connection, but it rang out to automated voice mail."

"I'll get started trying to trace it," promised Moblit, and he set down a case on the table and opened it up to reveal the tracing equipment inside. "Is there an outlet I can plug this into, Mrs. Jaeger?"

"Yes, right there by the hutch. I'll plug it in for you."

While she did that, Hange sat down beside Erwin and threaded her fingers together over the surface of the table. "What did Levi say to you before you lost contact with him, Erwin?"

"He sounded uncommonly distressed. His words came out slow and a bit stuttered. He said his head was paining him, and he wasn't making much sense."

Erwin frowned and scratched his chin. "He mentioned his stitches. Something under them? I think he was trying to tell me he discovered something that might provide us with answers as to what was done to him, but he couldn't articulate well enough for me to figure it out. He became unresponsive after mentioning the sewers when I tried to find out where he was. I believe he'd changed his mind about his course of action and intended to turn himself in."

"Hmm." Hange mulled it over. "This makes me wonder if there was something more to that head injury that we missed. I've been thinking this whole time that if his behavior wasn't caused by head trauma, it could be hypnosis. Now I'm wondering if they somehow did something physical to him to trigger these episodes."

"And you didn't find any evidence of foreign objects in his skull when you examined him?" pressed Erwin.

"No, but there's technology that can slip under the radar, so to speak. Nanotechnology could be involved in this, theoretically. It's still in development, but I wonder if our enemies might be a step ahead of everyone and found some way to use it on Levi to control him. It's a little far-fetched, but it might explain why we didn't find anything when we examined and scanned him."

Madeline wrung her hands with distress. "Are you saying someone may have put some kind of device in Levi's brain? Like a mind control chip or something? Is such a thing really possible?"

"It's not likely, but it isn't impossible," postulated Hange. "Then again, Levi might have just been confused and babbling nonsense when he spoke to Erwin. I can't try to confirm that theory until we have him safely in custody, and if I still can't find anything, we'll have to go with the assumption that he's been made into a sleeper agent through good, old-fashioned hypnosis."

Hange narrowed her eyes. There was one other thing that might be possible, no matter how remote. She couldn't talk about it in front of Madeline, though. "Erwin, can I speak with you outside for a minute?"

He stood up. "Of course. Excuse us please, Madeline."

* * *

"What's on your mind?" asked Erwin once he and Hange were on the back porch with the door shut behind them. "You've thought of something else, haven't you?"

Hange nibbled her lower lip before answering. "Maybe, but it's quite a long-shot, and it's going to sound crazy."

He smirked without humor. "Crazier than nano chips and hypnosis? Try me. The start of this year has already been exceedingly strange."

She nodded, and she glanced back at the sliding glass door before speaking again. "What if the nature of Levi's fits aren't medical or of the standard psychological variety? Maybe they've been induced by a different sort of mind influence...one that dates back to our previous lives?"

Erwin's gaze sharpened as he caught on to what she was suggesting. "Would this mind influence have any relation to controlling titans?"

"Exactly. This could be a result of the coordinate being used on him."

Erwin frowned and shook his head. "How? You blocked Eren's access to that ability last year."

"So I thought, but there's the tiniest chance some part of his mind still has some access to it. What if we're completely wrong about Levi being kidnapped and tampered with by some hidden enemy? What if that nurse really was just a nurse, and for whatever reason she vanished after he left her care? This all started happening after Levi returned home...after being reunited with Eren."

Erwin just couldn't see the logic in it. "Even if you're right and Eren still has some access to the coordinate, why on earth would he use it against his own husband and turn Levi against us?"

"He wouldn't do it on purpose," she said hastily, "not even if Eren wanted Levi to quit the agency because he worries about him too much. Subconsciously though, he may have done something without realizing it. You saw how anxious Eren was when Levi got back, how reluctant he was to let the grump out of his sight. Like I said; it's a long-shot, but I think we should consider the possibility that Eren may have accidentally triggered this with some latent access to his coordinate that we didn't know about. I know he wouldn't have done it on purpose, but he's the only person Levi's had contact with that's ever had that sort of ability."

"An ability that has never had an influence on people with Ackerman blood," reminded Erwin. He started to blow off the idea entirely, but then something sprang to mind that gave him pause. "Wait. There's a chance you might actually be onto something. The BRS had an interest in the Ackerman family because of their resistance to mind-control methods. If any hidden remnants of that organization managed to get their hands on him, they might have found some way around that so that they could use the coordinate on him."

Now it was Hange's turn to frown. "But they would need to have their hands on Eren also, and find some way to force him to use it on Levi. He's the only one with that ability, remember?"

"He wasn't always the only one," stated Erwin grimly. "Your former assistant could control titans as well, if you recall...or at least, she could call them."

"Annie?" Hange shook her head. "First off, she's still living all the way in Trost. Secondly, they had to trigger Eren's coordinate through experimentation to give him access to it, if you recall. Even if Annie somehow gained the ability recently, she'd have to have a hell of a range to manipulate Levi from several states away."

"I wasn't thinking of Annie as the culprit, actually," corrected Erwin softly. "I was thinking of another shifter...one who demonstrated a more advanced, direct control over his titan army. One who could still harbor a grudge against us from a different life, should he be alive today and have access to his past life memories. One who allegedly had a blood relation to Eren Jaeger."

Hange's eyes widened, and she sucked in a breath. "You mean General Zeke? _Now_ who's being far-fetched? We have no evidence he's been reborn, Erwin. How would he trigger his coordinate if he were? When I was playing double-agent, I never saw or heard any mention of him or anyone fitting his description. Don't you think Rod Reiss would have gone after him too, like he did Eren?"

"Unless Zeke was already involved in the organization and we never knew it," surmised Erwin. "He may have been their backup plan, for all we know. If we're going to lay the possibility of someone manipulating Levi with the coordinate on the table, we should factor him into our theories as well."

"Can I just ask what inspired this idea, besides my mention of the coordinate?"

Erwin frowned, thinking of when he'd had Chambers brought in and questioned, shortly after Levi's disappearance. "Evret Packard. The mystery agent that showed up at Gregory Chambers' place. We still don't know what his true identity is or what he was doing, and if you recall, he was described as having long blond hair in a ponytail and wearing sunglasses."

"But that's a shot in the dark," insisted Hange. "Just because he happened to have blond hair doesn't mean he's Zeke!"

"True, but until we manage to track down this 'Packard' character and confirm it for ourselves, let's consider the possibility."

She sighed. "Well, I suppose it would make more sense than my theory of Eren accidentally brainwashing his own honey. All right, let's put that on the table. That reminds me, though; I'd better check on Annie. I haven't spoken to her for a while, and now you've got me worried someone might have nabbed her and used her, after all."

"It would be best to rule it out," agreed Erwin. He watched and waited as Hange got out her phone and found Annie's contact number.

"Hello, Annie? Hi, how are things?" Hange said after a few moments. She checked her watch. "Yes, I know it's late. I forgot we're a couple of hours ahead of you. So is everything going all right? Uh-huh. Oh, that's good to hear. Well, I'll let you go now. Sorry to wake you. I'll talk with you tomorrow sometime, all right? Buh-bye."

Hange hung up, and she shrugged. "Well, I think we can rule Annie out as being involved in this. She said everything is fine. She's still working at the clinic I referred her to, and she's moving into a new place next week closer to the suburbs. I'll do a little digging just to be sure, of course."

"Good." Erwin sighed, and he looked up at the stars. He turned around with the help of his crutches. "I think I should sit down for a while."

"Yes, you should stay off that foot as much as possible until it heals up some more," agreed Hange. "Erwin, don't let this keep you away from getting your rest. We're all worried about Levi, but you've done everything you can for now. Mike should be getting back to us any time now with news, and with any luck, they've found Levi and can bring him in."

"Let's hope so," sighed the blond.

* * *

He drove up to the security gates of the compound, having retrieved his motorcycle from where he'd parked it. The guards inside the operation booth came out and asked what his business was, warily putting hands on their weapons at the sight of how he was dressed and the strange gear on his person. One of them called it in when Levi didn't answer, keeping a sharp eye on the small man. Someone on the other line spoke to him, and the guard shrugged at his companion before confirming they were to let the agent pass. They opened the gate, and Levi drove through. He parked his vehicle inside the facility's garage, and he dismounted and walked to an elevator with a security panel on it.

The agent hesitated for a moment, appearing to struggle with himself. He then pressed his palm flat against the panel, and it lit up as it scanned his prints. The elevator doors opened, and he took the lift down to the lowest level. People in uniforms and lab coats stepped aside and stared at him as Levi stalked down the first corridor, made the second left and then approached another set of secure elevator doors. He did the same as before, letting the scanner read his prints, and then he took the lift even further down, several floors below ground.

He walked with purpose, looking neither left nor right as his boots tapped lightly against the tiled floor. There were fewer staff members down here and more security people. Radio equipment went off as instructions were relayed to all personnel to let Levi pass. He only spared a second glance at one person in passing; the same woman whose house he'd woken up in the day he'd regained consciousness. She backed up, watching him warily as he stared at her with narrowed eyes. After a moment, he resumed walking, and she took a deep, shaken breath of relief when he kept going.

The woman brought her phone to her ear and called someone. "Sir, he's on his way to you now."

Levi didn't pause. He made it to a room far down the hall, and he again touched a security panel. The steel enforced doors slid open, and he stepped into a room with a long table, a row of desks with computers lining the southern wall, and a group of men and women in suites and lab coats. One of the men turned around to face the agent while his associates whispered to each other, mildly surprised to see him but having anticipated his arrival.

The man would have been recognized by any of the former scouts that had regained their previous memories. He was clean-shaven, his blond hair was neatly groomed and bound in a pontyail, but his features and the crafty eyes behind the round lenses of his glasses were unmistakable. He regarded Levi thoughtfully for a moment, and he stepped closer to him as the agent stopped and stood silently.

"It seems the failsafe worked," mused Zeke. He circled Levi slowly, examining his lithe form and the equipment secured to it. "Sooner than expected, but I take this to mean you were successful?"

Levi glanced at him, and his steely gaze wavered. He parted his lips to speak, and his gloved hands briefly clenched into fists as he tried to fight the mental compulsion.

"Well?" pressed Zeke. "Has the cat got your tongue, Captain?"

Levi closed his eyes, and he shook his head. "The mission...failed."

"I see." His tone was musing.

"Zeke, should he really be armed in here?" asked one of the other men present, nervously. "Maybe you should instruct him to remove that gear until it's time for him to go again."

"No, there's no need for that." Zeke smirked slightly. "He's in phase two. He's beyond resisting it, now. Didn't I say I took proper measures to ensure he wouldn't break free, once he reached this point?"

"I'm impressed," stated a woman in a lab coat. She looked up a file on one of the computers, and she went on absently: "but you can't call this a success yet, Mr. Jaeger. He didn't succeed in his first primary directive."

"Consider that a test run," said Zeke calmly. "I'm sure we'll have better luck the next time. Smith is the first obstacle we need to remove. He's the biggest danger to our plans."

"And what about Mr. Ackerman's husband, Eren Jaeger?" asked one of the men.

Zeke turned to look at him. "Nothing has changed, concerning Eren. He's not to be touched until I say otherwise. We bring down the top agents first, and then we'll focus on bringing in the other subjects of interest."

A barely perceptible tremor went through Levi, and Zeke noticed it. "Don't worry, Agent Ackerman. It will all be over before you know it, and then you'll be released. Until then, welcome home."

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well Erwin, looks like you called it! Zeke might just be a tad wrong about you being the biggest danger to their plans, though. *cough* Sorry for the lack of silly recaps. It's been a tough few days.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all of the kudos and comments, everyone! I got on a roll with this one last night, so have another update. ;-)

"We found Levi's phone, but no sign of Levi," Mike reported to Erwin a little after midnight. "The phone got wet down here, and that's probably what caused it to disconnect."

"I see." Erwin sighed, sitting up in the bed beside Madeline. "All right then; we'll have to rely on any satellite imagery we can access covering that area and the blocks surrounding it. Did you find his motorcycle?"

"No, but we have a small lead. The guard showed us footage of Levi coming back and then driving away on it, around twenty minutes after you lost contact with him. At least we have an idea which way he turned when he left. Might be hard to keep track of him at night, though. He was wearing all black."

"And he was still fully armed?" questioned Erwin.

"Yeah. Sounds like he gave a pretty convincing story that it was all just costume props. Seeing as rent-a-cops don't know anything about that kind of gear, the security guard believed him."

Erwin bit back a groan. Of course. Standard law enforcement and civilian security guards wouldn't know what the hell they were looking at, and the ODM gear could certainly pass as some sort of climbing equipment or show props. Levi probably only got some mildly curious looks from people he might have crossed paths with. Still, it must have drawn some attention to him. Maybe it was time to put out a missing person report and describe what he was wearing. People weren't likely to forget seeing someone dressed like that if they saw him.

"All right. Start having satellite data reviewed and saved before it can disappear. If anything is found, I want to know about it. I'm going to file a missing person report. Local law enforcement needs to be notified and informed that Levi is to be considered armed and dangerous."

"You sure you want to get regular police involved in this, chief?" cautioned Mike. "They're going to have questions you can't really answer, without getting permission from the higher-ups."

"I'm aware of that," assured Erwin. "I'll handle it. I'll make it clear that any information regarding Levi's whereabouts is to be reported to us. All I intend to tell them is that he's a government agent that's suffered a breakdown and went missing. Classified details won't be shared. We need as many eyes as we can get to help us find him before he does something truly destructive."

"All right, I see your point. I'll get people started on the satellite monitoring."

"Thank you, Mike. Goodnight." Erwin hung up the phone, and he looked at Madeline's hopeful face with a shake of his head. "He left his location before my people could get there. We do have some leads, and we'll keep searching."

She rubbed her eyes and sighed. "How could this happen? Has anything like this ever happened before, Erwin?"

He hesitated. "No, not like this. We've had moles in the past from rival organizations, and we've had people defect, but this is the first time since I've worked for the agency that any agent has been subliminally compromised."

He stroked her hair, wishing he could offer something more. "He's alive, and if he's on the move, then he must be relatively unharmed. We'll find him, Madeline."

She nodded, though the worry didn't leave her expression. "Eren needs to know. We should call him and tell him the latest developments."

"Leave that to me," suggested Erwin, wiping a glistening tear from her cheek. "You're very upset right now, and he'll pick up on that. We don't want to upset him any more than we have to."

"You're right." She sniffed. "He doesn't need his mother breaking down over the phone to him, on top of everything else."

* * *

"Armin, I need to book a flight back home right away."

The band manager looked up at his friend warily as Eren strode through the door of his hotel room. Eren's eyes were rimmed with gold, and his gaze was intense. "Eren, wh—"

"Don't argue with me," interrupted the singer. "I just got off the phone with Erwin. They found Levi, didn't fucking tell me about it and then lost him again. Erwin says the last time he spoke with him, Levi was about to turn himself in, but then they lost the connection and he was gone before they got to him. I've got to get _home_ , okay? Screw the last two shows, my husband is still missing out there with some screws loose in his head. I'm not going to keep gallivanting around on a tour while Levi's out there somewhere in trouble, got it?"

"Okay, calm down," advised the blond. He squeezed Eren's shoulders supportively. "Think for a moment, Eren. What are you going to do? How can you help him, right now? They aren't going to give you clearance to be involved in this. The situation isn't the same as it was when we were fighting against the BRS and culling titans!"

"I don't know," admitted Eren tightly. He combed his fingers through the growing shag of his brown hair. "I just know I have to _be_ there if they find him. I can't be three states away. I have to...have to be at his side as soon as...as soon as..."

Armin hugged him, sighing. "I understand. All right, Eren; we'll get you home. Unfortunately, there aren't going to be any flights going out at this time of night. You may have to wait until tomorrow."

"Then we'll load up on the tour bus and start heading back," Eren insisted. "You can drop me off tomorrow at the nearest airport we get to on the way. I just know I've got to start moving, so I can get home as soon as possible."

"Then that's what we'll do," promised Armin. He patted Eren on the back. "Just try to calm your nerves, okay? Have some hot cocoa or something while I arrange for the tour bus to move out."

Eren nodded convulsively, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Right. Thank you."

"Just one thing," Armin cautioned, "what sort of living arrangements are you going to have when you get back? They didn't want you going straight back to your house, remember?"

"Erwin's assigning Isabel and Farlan as my bodyguards," answered the taller man. "I guess I'll stay with them while this is going on. They already have my dogs at their place to watch over them. I'd have asked you if I could stay with you, but Erwin thinks I need to have agents with me at all times until this blows over."

"Good," approved Armin. "At least they're not risking putting you in any unnecessary danger. Just wait here while I go and find our bus driver. Maybe you should take one of those anxiety pills Hange gave you a while back. Do you have any left? Are they with you?"

"Yeah, I brought some just in case I had any sleepless nights," sighed Eren. "Looks like I'm in for a few of those. I might even need a refill of that stuff before this is finished."

"Do whatever you have to, in order to get through this. There's no shame in medicating when it's necessary."

"I think I'd rather get drunk," complained Eren.

Armin smiled a little. "Try not to become another rock star statistic, Eren. I don't want to find you dead on the floor because you choked on your own vomit."

* * *

The journey back to Tarsus Valley was exhausting. Even with the help of medication, Eren hardly got any sleep. He managed to have a nap on the plane, and his friends bought tickets as well and flew home with him, leaving the driver to bring the tour bus the rest of the way with the road crew. Isabel and Farlan were waiting for Eren at the airport when he touched down, and in lieu of taking the limo with the rest of the band, Eren rode with the two agents. Farlan remarked that Eren looked like he'd been rode hard and hung out wet, and the singer didn't object to the observation. He had shadows under his eyes not unlike the ones Levi would get when he had insomnia attacks. He hadn't eaten or bathed since he got the news, and the two of them bullied him into having some leftover chicken and dumplings at their place and taking a hot bath.

Eren slept in the pullout bed folded up in his hosts' couch, since they only had one bedroom. They'd padded it to thicken the mattress and make it more comfortable for him, and the dogs slept with him in it at night. He hardly noticed when the date of what was supposed to have been his band's last show of the tour came and went. Levi's trail had apparently gone cold, and the agency was using all of its resources to try and locate him. Eren turned down a few interviews requested of him, in no emotional condition to answer probing questions about his personal life or rumors concerning what was happening in it. Armin acted as his PR and took care of the media, squashing gossip that Levi had left Eren after a falling out when he went on tour. He excused the tour getting cut short on a bad case of the flu, telling the media Eren couldn't sing by the end of the tour but was recovering.

Fortunately, this sort of thing was a fairly common occurrence with performers out on the road, and refunds were given to fans that purchased tickets for the two cancelled concerts. Eren stopped by his house with Isabel and Farlan a couple of times during his stay with them, to pick up some clothes and personal things. One such belonging was a cd book with some recorded media saved on the disc collection. Some of it was video footage of past concerts and band rehearsals taken by Levi or Armin. One of the discs had Eren and Levi's wedding footage on it, along with their first year marriage anniversary celebration.

Eren watched both of the latter two on his lap top one night after his hosts went to bed. With Lena curled up on his left and Luka on his right, the young man re-lived those precious moments captured on video. He watched Hange's terrible attempt at karaoke to keep people occupied when Levi was late to the alter, and it made him laugh a little despite his heartache. His smile trembled as he saw himself and Levi standing before the celebrant wearing the wreaths of flowers his mother had made for them on their heads. He'd come up with some pretty sappy custom vows for the event, and it was a wonder Levi's eyes didn't roll out of his head as Eren spoke them.

"God, I miss him," Eren whispered to the dogs, scratching their heads. The moment of the kiss approached, and he could easily remember the feel of those soft lips against his, and the taste of peppermint on them. He could still feel his husband in his arms, and the thrill of finalizing their marital bonds and taking each other's names still hadn't faded. Each time Eren called Levi by the surname "Jaeger" or Levi called him by the surname "Ackerman", it made Eren's heart soar.

He watched the rest of the wedding, and after the cutting of the cake came the footage of their anniversary. Madeline had arranged the celebration party for them at their place, and their closest friends and colleagues showed up for it. The band had played a few live songs while it was still early enough not to disturb the neighbors, and a few people brought their swimmers and took a dip in the pool later. Levi showed up on the screen, dripping wet and looking stunning in his deep burgundy swimming briefs.

"Hey!"

Eren paused when he noticed Erwin checking his husband out in passing. He'd never noticed that before, but then, he'd only watched this footage once since it was filmed. He compressed his lips as he resumed playing it. It only lasted for a couple of seconds before Erwin seemed to catch himself staring and looked away, but it rankled Eren.

"You just can't help it, can you pal?" The singer couldn't really blame Erwin, though. Levi was eye-candy by anyone's standards. Thankfully, his mother's back was to Erwin when this moment was captured, and she was occupied selecting some finger food from the buffet table. Sasha had filmed this event, Eren realized.

"Shit, and Mom wants a copy of this footage, too." It had only been shot a little over a month before Levi vanished, and Eren hadn't gotten around to putting it on a disc for her. Good thing he noticed this part before he'd presented it to her. He could edit that little part out and spare her the awkwardness of seeing her boyfriend admiring her son-in-law. As far as Eren knew, his mother wasn't aware that Levi and Erwin had a history. Since that had been in another life entirely, he couldn't imagine Erwin ever bringing it up to her.

"Still going to make a point of reminding him not to eye-hump my baby," muttered Eren.

Jean and Mikasa came into view on the footage after that, and he cursed again. He'd told Jean he'd talk to Mikasa about the fight they'd gotten into after one of their most recent shows. Eren felt some sympathy for the guy, because he knew what it was like to be insecure about his partner's old flame. With that in mind, Eren sighed and reached for his phone. Maybe trying to fix their problem might help him take his mind off his own.

"Mikasa, it's me," he said when the bassist picked up. "Can we talk, or were you going to bed?"

"It's fine, Eren," she answered. "I was just going through bills. Is everything all right?"

"As well as it can be, I guess." He sighed. "Hey listen, I didn't call to talk about me and Levi. I was actually calling about you and Jean."

"I see." Her voice darkened. "What about us?"

"Uh, well, I just think you should give him a break," Eren suggested a little awkwardly. It felt weird to stick up for Jean like this, but his situation was partly Eren's fault. "You two have been together for a long time, and he was pretty upset about what happened that night."

"Then maybe he shouldn't have been behaving like such a jealous asshole," she reasoned. "He should know by now that you aren't a threat to our relationship. Even if I _did_ have romantic feelings for you, I would never try to act on them. You're gay and married. End of story."

"But it's not that simple," protested Eren. "Jealousy's not always reasonable. It doesn't matter whether we'd act on it or not, he remembers how tight we were and...well...how you used to be around me."

"That was in the past," she said stiffly. "If he can't live in the present, I've got no use for him."

"Do you really mean that?" pressed Eren, "because I've seen the looks warning looks you give women when they try to flirt with him. It goes both ways, Mika. Plus...I kind of know how he feels. Every time our old commander looks at Levi, I want to warn him off. My head tells me Erwin's never tried anything with him in this life and probably never will, but I still notice when he stares, and I know there's always going to be that...I don't know...that connection between them. It doesn't mean I don't trust Levi, anymore than I think Jean doesn't trust you. It's just a territorial reaction, and you have to admit, from Jean's point of view, it probably didn't look good when he walked in and found you in my lap."

Mikasa hesitated. "Well...maybe. I guess I can see that point of view. I just get tired of feeling like I have to defend myself every time I show you some affection or try to be supportive."

Eren grimaced, and he wondered if Levi felt the same way when it came to Erwin. "Just don't make a choice you'll regret. That's all I'm saying. You two are good together, even if Jean pisses me off most of the time. I'd hate to see you walk away from something special. You should just talk to him about it. I'm sure he'll work on it, just like I still have to work on my insecurities about Erwin."

It took her a moment to answer. "I'll sleep on it," she said at last. "But you shouldn't worry about Jean and I. You've got enough on your plate, as it is."

"Yeah, but you're one of my two best friends, and I want you to be happy. You're always there for me, so I'm trying to return the favor."

Her voice softened. "I appreciate it, Eren. I just need a break for now, but I won't make any final decisions for a couple of days. I just don't have the patience right now to keep reassuring him. Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh. "I'll try. Goodnight, Mikasa."

Eren hung up the phone, and he watched a little more of the anniversary footage before deciding that it was just too painful to finish it. He ejected the disc, put it away and powered off his laptop. Putting the machine away in its case, he took the pill waiting on the end table for him, and he rinsed it down with the cup of water he'd poured. He laid down and he petted the dogs absently as he stared up at the ceiling and tried to calm his mind enough to sleep.

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" Hange waved a hand in the air before her computer screen, practically gnashing her teeth with frustration. "He couldn't have just vanished into thin air! I know the little terror is good at staying hidden when he wants to, but _I'm_ good at finding people! I'm no closer now than I was when he went AWOL!"

"Hange, calm down," encouraged Moblit, turning around in his computer chair to regard her with sympathy. "I know it's frustrating, but—"

"It's been a _month_ now, Moblit. A fucking month." She swept the paperwork off her work station, and she glared at her data screen. "If he's still alive, something more should have been found by now! For all our efforts, we're still flailing in the dark. My friend is missing, and I can't do anything about it. I should have been able to find some teeny, tiny hint that could get us closer to finding him by now."

Moblit got up from his work station, and he closed the distance between them. He bent over to kiss the fretting scientist's head, and he drew her in an awkward embrace. Hange clutched at his shirt, and she buried her face against his chest.

"What are we missing?" she whispered. "What happened to him? I just want to know what happened. I've been promising Eren we'll find him soon, but I got too cocky."

Moblit stroked her hair. "I think you should get away from your work for a little while. You're always saying that sometimes it just takes stepping back for a moment to come back with a fresh perspective. Maybe that's what you need to do. Have a rest from it, and maybe you'll come up with a breakthrough."

"I feel like I would be giving up on him, if I do that."

Moblit shook his head. "No, you wouldn't. You've just been pushing yourself too hard and you need to refresh and try a different approach. All you're doing right now is making a nervous wreck of yourself."

She heaved an uneven sigh. "I...suppose. All right, let's break for lunch and come back to it later. I just realized I haven't eaten yet, today."

"That sounds good," he agreed.

They started to power down their systems, when something odd yet all too familiar happened. Both of their screens went black, and then flickered to blue error screen.

"What in the..." Hange looked between the two computers, a bit slower to register than usual. They'd done it in synch, which meant it wasn't likely to be isolated to either computer.

"Oh, shit. Moblit, check the other computers in here," Hange ordered, dread creeping into her voice.

He was already powering them on, only to see the same results. "It could just be these systems," he suggested. "Maybe they're doing maintenance on this department's access board."

She dearly wanted to believe that, but then Hange's phone rang, and she looked at it to see it was Erwin. She picked it up, and as she answered it, she tried to get back into the system on her computer. "Erwin, I think we have a problem down here."

"We have a problem up here, too," he answered. "Our database system is down."

"Ours is too." Hange glanced at Moblit. They'd seen this sort of thing happen before, usually from an outside hack slipping past the security firewalls. They had perfected it over the past year though, and they'd had the best computer techs available test it from every angle. Satellite Core was no longer in operation, and it was highly unlikely that any other organizations could pose the same threat they had.

"It has to be a glitch," Moblit insisted. "A fluke. There's no _way_ an outside source could hack into this system now. They'd have to have direct access to the core mainframe to touch it, and that's under tight guard at all times."

"Unless someone with access clearance is a double-agent," Hange pointed out grimly. "Erwin, you'd better lock this building down and have every agent that has clearance for that control room detained and questioned. This could just be due to a power failure or something in their failing, but we'd best be sure."

* * *

As it turned out, it wasn't just hardware or program failure. The Tarsus Valley UFI branch was dead in the water, insofar as the database was concerned. It was like someone just pulled the plug on all of it, and nobody could even access it with personal laptops. Attempts to try resulted in the message that the database was offline. No power had been lost to the building and the internet was working, but the database could not be accessed.

While tech teams worked furiously to bring it back online, all printed hard copies of agency data were locked away and put under tight guard. Erwin had a team working on reviewing security camera feeds, and they found problems with that, too. It seemed twenty-four hours worth of feed had been lost. They worked to retrieve it after Moblit discovered it had been hidden within the security system and encrypted.

"More hacker shit," grumbled Mike as he watched Moblit work. "I had enough of this last year."

"Agreed," said Erwin, now wearing a brace on the foot he'd injured on the day Levi attacked him. It was healed up enough for him to go without the brace and walk with only a slight limp, but he used it during long work days or when exercising for support. "I would rather not have this become an annual thing. At least we know who's had access to the control room and who's been assigned to guard it."

"I've got it," announced Moblit. He pulled up the first block of missing footage, and they crowded around the screen to watch as he played it. "This might take a while to get through."

Erwin checked his watch. "Yes, twenty-four hours of feed is quite a lot to review. Try going backwards from the hour the database went down. That could narrow the search."

Moblit did as Erwin asked, and he bumped the speed up to four times in order to make it go faster. They got through the first hour without seeing anything suspicious, and the same went for the second hour. Everyone sat down as time passed, and Mike got up to get some coffees. Evening was approaching by the time they made it to the first five hours of the recovered footage, and everyone was yawning and stretching incrementally.

"Whoa, stop," Mike said, reaching out to grab Moblit's wrist. "Slow it down. What was that?"

Moblit backed it up when a figure in black appeared to be walking backwards away from the core mainframe in the video. He backed it up further to the point where the figure had entered, and he played it forward in slow motion. They watched as a small but masculine person entered the control room with his back to the camera. They'd nearly missed the moment, because they'd been staring at the screen for so long and it was so brief, Moblit almost skipped past it.

Erwin couldn't see his face, but he recognized the physique and the undercut hairstyle. "Levi."

Hange squinted. "Are you sure?"

He shot her a look. "Almost positive. Keep playing it, Moblit. What time stamp does this part of the feed have?"

Moblit checked. "O312 hours, sir."

"Who was on guard duty at that time?"

Mike checked the printed work logs. "Troy Vickers and Lewis Sharp."

As they watched, the man in black took something out of a utility belt secured around his waist. He approached the mainframe, inserted an item into one of the data slots and typed something into the computer. He turned just enough for them to make out his profile, and there was no doubt left.

"It's Levi, all right," breathed Hange. "What the hell is he doing? Freeze and enhance it, would you Moblit?"

Moblit zoomed in as directed. "It's a data chip. It looks like he's delivering a program. Probably a worm. Either it got activated by something entered into the system by someone earlier, or it had a countdown to go off at a certain time. My guess is it stayed dormant until some condition was met, and then it activated and spread fast, infecting the whole database and every computer connected to it."

"Get people working on finding out which, immediately," ordered Erwin. "It's possible that someone working on locating Agent Ackerman might have been getting too close to finding something. Given Levi's compromised status, they must have sent him here to deliver the package himself to keep us off the scent."

"How the hell did he get in there?" Mike wondered, scratching his chin. "Nobody reported anything odd."

"Check the camera feeds from the hallway outside," suggested Hange.

"Those are missing footage from those hours too," Moblit announced with a sigh. "I'll see if I can find them and unlock them with the same method."

* * *

This time it didn't take as long for Moblit to get access to the missing block of security footage, and since they knew what hour Levi had appeared, he went straight to it on the feed. He started playing it at 0300 hours, and it showed both of the assigned security agents sitting at their station as they should be. This only served to confuse them more, but then a blur of black and white dropped down behind the security station, quick and silent as a ghost. It startled Hange enough to make her yelp.

"Son of a bitch," she exclaimed, though she really shouldn't have been so surprised by Levi's speed and efficiency. He fired something from a device in his hand at each of the guards, aiming at the back of their necks. They didn't even get the chance to turn around. Vickers slumped over immediately, while Sharp slapped at his neck with a start, before falling out of his chair to the floor.

Levi approached the two downed guards, squatted over them and pulled out the little darts he'd pierced them with. He dropped them into a case on his security belt, avoiding touching the needles on them and securing the case shut. He took the keycard from one of the guards, and he walked into the control room without opposition. It all happened in under three minutes.

"Wait, so where was he for the other nine minutes before he showed up on the control room feed?" muttered Moblit.

"Probably tampering with the camera system," Mike guessed. "He did something to hide that footage. Security didn't get a chance to review it before the system went down, I'll bet."

"Bring those two guards in," Erwin said. "I want to know why they didn't report this. Records say they were relieved of their shift at six in the morning. I want to speak directly to them on this matter."

Hange sighed, and she looked back at the still image on the screen. "What were you trying to hide, Levi? What clue did we miss? Or was this about something else?"

"He only uploaded the worm," Moblit said thoughtfully. "He didn't download any data onto that chip."

"Then it's clear his intent was to cripple us." Erwin was frowning at the screen as well. "Whether to prevent us from finding something as suggested, or to make us vulnerable to attack. Perhaps the ones behind all of this have something systematic in mind, and we won't be the only branch targeted."

"Then we'd better get on the horn and get word out," suggested Mike.

* * *

Neither of the guards that were on duty during the moments Levi had been there the night before had any memory of being assaulted. They both swore up and down that nothing unusual happened, and they neither saw or heard any unauthorized personnel during their shift. With a sigh, Erwin sat them down to look at the footage from the night before. Both of them went pale when they saw the part with Levi dropping down from an air vent, saw themselves both go down with hardly a flinch, and watched him stroll into the control room.

Erwin paused the footage, and he gave them an expectant look. "Clearly it happened fast, but do you gentlemen mean to tell me that you had no suspicious experience during that shift?"

"I...might have nodded off once," admitted Sharp. He'd been the one to slap at the back of his neck when Levi stuck it with the dart.

"Yes, for..." Erwin looked at the time report he'd filled out. "Twenty-two minutes. Vickers, you were out for nineteen."

Both of them were wide-eyed. "I don't remember losing any time at all," objected Vickers.

"Do you recall finding your coworker on the floor?" pressed Erwin.

Agent Vickers shook his head. "No sir. It...it was just a routine shift."

"We would have reported it if we remembered any of this," said Sharp with a gesture at the screen.

Erwin went silent, looking between the two of them. Levi had suffered a memory block of what happened to him when he went missing. They'd found the remains of some sort of vial where they'd found his phone. Could it be that whatever substance he must have coated the darts he'd used on these men was a concentrated dose of the same thing, but not enough to cause more than short-term memory loss? They still didn't know what was behind Levi's blackouts, and Erwin wasn't willing to take the chance that whatever he'd pricked these guards with might do the same thing to them.

"We're going to need to hold you for forty-eight hours," decided the director at last, "and after that, you'll be under temporary leave and observation until told otherwise. I'll send for someone to escort you to holding immediately."

* * *

Eren was surprised when Erwin invited him to meet up with him at a bar that night. He almost didn't go, but the director informed him that he had news to give him, and it was best to meet up somewhere with people. Unsure of what to think of this development, Eren went with Farlan and Isabel to the designated sports bar. He asked if either of them knew what this might be about, and they were just as clueless as he was.

"We haven't been told much since they assigned us to keep you safe," the redheaded girl said. "It's mostly the high ranking agents working on this case. They only tell us what they think we need to know."

Isabel sighed dejectedly. "I sure wish they'd let us know too, if they've got anymore news about big bro."

"Maybe it's nothing directly about Levi," suggested Farlan, pulling up to the curb. "The boss might want to talk to Eren about something else. Maybe he's getting ready to pop the question to Mrs. Jaeger and he wants witnesses in case Eren loses his shit over it."

That gave Eren pause. He knew things were getting pretty serious with his mom and Erwin. He wasn't sure how to feel about the possibility that Erwin might propose to her. On the one hand, it would probably make her happy and he would feel better about Erwin's past history with his husband if the man were married to someone else. On the other hand, he considered Levi's reaction to the thought in the past, and he had to admit it would be weird to have his former commander as his father-in-law. Not to mention it would creep Levi out.

"I guess I'll find out what's going on in a minute," he sighed. At least there weren't any paparazzi around to pester him. That was one bonus to staying with Farlan and Isabel and driving around in their car instead of theirs. The media apparently hadn't found out where he was staying yet, and his mother said there were a lot of them hanging around the fence outside his house when she checked on it the other day for him.

"We'll wait in the car," Farlan said.

"You sure? I could be in there for a while."

"Yeah, it's okay," assured Isabel. "I've got my tablet and Farlan always gets stuck into Solitaire on his phone. We'll keep ourselves busy."

"All right." Eren put his baseball cap on, along with the non-prescription glasses he sometimes wore when he went out somewhere and didn't want to be so easily recognized. As much as Levi picked on Hange for her glasses, he seemed to like Eren's clunky green ones. He said he made a cute nerd, once. Dressed in a pair of jeans, sneakers and a jersey shirt to match the cap, he'd altered his look enough to pass as some average guy.

He got out of the car and walked into the bar across the street. It wasn't too packed, and he noticed with interest that they'd set up a Karaoke machine on the stage. If he weren't so down, he might have considered belting out a song or two. He spotted Erwin in the corner near the stage, and he approached the table he was sitting at. The blond was sipping a beer and watching the nearest screen displaying a football game. He looked up at Eren, blinked a little, and then gestured at the chair across from his.

"I have to admit, I didn't immediately recognize you," said Erwin as the younger man joined him.

"Amazing what a hat and a pair of fake glasses can do," said Eren dryly.

"And it gives you a different look without making it obvious you're trying to disguise yourself." Erwin put his beer down. "Do you want to order a drink before we start talking?"

"Do you think I'm going to need one for this talk?" countered Eren, trying to read the man's expression.

"Probably," admitted the blond. "Perhaps even something stiff."

Eren checked a sigh, guessing he wasn't going to get more out of his companion until he had a drink in his hand as Erwin suggested. "Be right back."

He got up and went to the bar, and he ordered a whiskey sour. He went back to the table once he got his drink, tipped the bartender and paid for it, and he took his seat again. "All right, lat it on me, sir. This isn't exactly the kind of place I'd picture you coming to."

"Neither is it the kind of place you would currently frequent," Erwin pointed out, "and that's to our benefit. There's also enough noise in here for us to speak without being overheard easily."

Eren had to admit, he made some good points. Still, his reasoning made him even more suspicious. "What do you want to talk about that people can't overhear?" He pitched his voice below the music that had started from the machine up on the stage.

"Well, your mother and I were talking and—" Erwin broke off when a very tipsy young woman came up to the microphone and almost started shrieking the lyrics of her chosen song. He winced, glancing at her with a hint of pity.

"What about my mother?" Pressed Eren, used to hearing less than stellar performances from fans Karaoke singers alike. Maybe Farlan had nailed it, or maybe something had happened between his mother and Erwin and they were breaking things off. Madeline hadn't said anything to him though, and Eren was sure she would have told him if she and Erwin broke up.

Erwin tore his attention away from the girl attempting to sing on the stage. "She's very concerned for you, and so am I."

Eren fought a groan again. This sounded suspiciously like an attempted paternal talk, which leant weight to Farlan's suggestion that Erwin might be about to move into a surrogate father position. "Stop right there, please," he said, beyond caring whether it sounded disrespectful. "I think I know what you're about to say."

Erwin's brows raised slightly. "Do you?"

"Yeah, and I'm not against it, but if you go through with it, you've got to remember to be more careful about how you look at my husband."

Erwin's opaque expression melted into confusion. "Eren, I don't think—"

"Look, I was watching the footage from our anniversary, and I don't know if you even realized you were doing it, but you leered at him for a minute. My mom was right behind you, too. If you want to ask her to marry you, wait until we've got Levi back and be more careful about that."

Erwin's face darkened a little. It was probably the first time Eren had seen him blush, that he could recall. "You misunderstand. I didn't ask you here to discuss your mother and I's relationship, and if I did happen to give Levi an inappropriate look at that party, I apologize. I don't recall that."

"Oh." Now Eren was blushing a little, too. "I just thought...with the way you started the conversation, it sounded like you were gearing up to give me some 'I'm not trying to replace your dad' speech before dropping the M-bomb on me."

Erwin coughed on his next swallow of beer, and he shook his head. "No. Madeline and I are fine where we are for now, and as you've mentioned, I have other priorities to put first. Maybe some time in the future I'll consider taking the next step, with your blessing, but bringing Levi safely home, protecting you and ending this threat is paramount."

Chagrined that he'd jumped to conclusions, Eren had a swallow of his drink. "Uh, sorry. Then where were you going with that first sentence, sir?"

Erwin started to answer just as the singer on stage hit a shrill note, and he winced. He retrieved a pen from his blazer, and he wrote something down on his napkin. He slid it across the table to Eren, and the younger man picked it up to read what he'd written.

_"How proficient have you stayed with the OMG gear?"_

Eren made a face, and he looked up from the napkin at his companion. "You mean ODM, sir?"

Erwin tilted his head, and he laughed at himself when Eren showed him his mistake. "Ah, your mother's term for it. I think it's rubbed off on me without my realizing it. Yes."

For the first time, it occurred to Eren that the director was a little loose on his feet. "Commander," he said, leaning forward a little and falling back on old rank titles, "how many beers did you have before I got here?"

Erwin considered the question. "Four before this one. Plus one shot of something they called a 'buttery nipple'. The young lady running the bar gave it to me on the house."

Eren looked over at said bartender, and he caught her staring at Erwin. She was cute, he supposed...around his age, with curly brown hair, tanned skin and brown eyes. She was watching the handsome blond agent like he was the cherry on top of a dessert she wanted to gobble up. "Oh, I get it."

Apparently, he was alone in that. "Pardon?"

Eren snorted. For someone that used to be a notorious playboy, Erwin was kind of clueless. Maybe those glances he gave Levi from time to time really _weren't_ on purpose. Maybe Erwin was too buzzed to notice it. Shit...maybe that girl spiked his drink. That was all they needed. "Are you okay, sir?"

"A bit tipsy, but fine," assured Erwin. He glanced down at his beer, lowering it to the table. "Ah, maybe I should cut myself off."

"Maybe that's a good idea," suggested Eren with a smirk. He grudgingly admitted that he could see Erwin's appeal. He wasn't as cute as Levi, though, and Eren doubted he would ever forget what the man had put his little love through in the past. "So, can we move this along? Why were you asking me about the gear?"

Erwin hesitated, and he took the napkin back from Eren to write more on the other side. He slid it back over. He sighed in relief when the screeching girl finished her song and got off the stage, and Eren was amused. He looked down at the napkin, and his eyes widened.

_"You can't advertise it. I'm issuing your gear to you. Pixis helped me pull strings. This is off the record. To be used only in emergencies. Are you still proficient enough?"_

Eren looked back at the older man, and he nodded. Adrenaline pumped through him. Could this be a prelude to him getting directly involved in rescuing Levi from the situation he was in. He nearly saluted. "Yes sir! Levi—"

"Keep it down," warned Erwin. "The music is on break."

"Yes sir," repeated Eren more softly. "Levi and I practiced with it a lot before we had to turn it in. I'm probably a little rusty, but still better than I used to be."

Erwin nodded. "Good. Tear up that napkin now, please."

Eren did as he was told. "So what next?"

"It will be brought to you. I'm going to inform your hosts of it, of course. I assume they came with you?" Erwin looked around for Isabel and Farlan.

"Yeah, they're keeping watch from the car." Eren bit his lip. "Was there...anything else?"

Erwin lowered his gaze and nodded, his heavy brows drawing together briefly over his eyes. "Yes. Late Wednesday night around three in the morning, someone managed to breach headquarter security and plant a deb...debilitating worm into our mainframe database system."

Eren ignored the slight slur to the older man's speech. He remembered past experiences with people hacking the UFI and their allied branches systems, and he swallowed. "Did they get anything?"

Erwin shook his head. "It appears they weren't after any information. We found security video logs revealing the culprit. He came to plant this worm not to steal data, but to cripple our system. We're currently still working on it."

"How did this guy get in?" Eren demanded. "And does this mean you can't track down Levi until it's fixed?"

Erwin sighed, and it was then that Eren understood what had provoked the man into drinking as much as he had when Erwin spoke again. "Actually, the culprit responsible for this _was_ Levi."

He lowered his voice and leaned over the table again. Eren also leaned over, and Erwin explained what had happened. Eren's troubled gaze went to his glass when Erwin finished, and he struggled for words. Erwin seemed to forget his decision to stop drinking, and he took another swig of his half-finished beer.

"Levi knows that building better than most," explained the director. "It seems he got in through the ventilation system again, and he must have left the same way. We found evidence to support that, and further security measures are being taken to help ensure this can't happen again."

Erwin frowned as if he wanted to say more, but then he shook his head. "We had no idea he was there in our very building until the next day, Eren. This is a setback, but we aren't going to give up on retrieving him. I want you to know that."

Eren nodded. No, Erwin would never give up on Levi. Regardless of how uncomfortable it made him sometimes, the man's continued efforts to make up for past wrongs done to Levi was undoubtedly useful. Hange would never give up on Levi either. They had an odd sort of unlikely friendship, like two separate species that one wouldn't expect to see hanging out together. Regardless of their differences, it worked for them. They went out of their way to help each other when one of them was in trouble.

"What did he look like on the surveillance video?" asked Eren at last. "Did he...at least look physically okay, even though he wasn't himself?"

Erwin nodded. "He showed no signs of physical distress. He was very much Levi in every sense but for the behavior. We can at least take some comfort in that."

Eren finished off his drink with a sigh. "Thanks for meeting up with me to tell me this, sir. I don't want to be rude, but I think I should leave now. This is a lot to take."

"I understand." Erwin set his beer down. "I believe I've had enough. I'll walk out with you. I'm sorry that we again failed to act in time to get him into custody."

"You've doing all you can." Looking at the older man, Eren sensed a rapport between them, rather like what they'd developed in the other life after Levi passed. "Hey, Commander?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay to drive home? Maybe we should give you a ride, and you can pick up your car tomorrow."

Erwin didn't immediately answer. He got up out of his chair, staggered just a little, and then sighed. "That might be a prudent thought."

Eren nodded, and he grabbed Erwin's arm to help steady him. "Okay. Let's get out of here."

* * *

Something made the fine hairs on the back of Eren's neck stand on end as soon as they stepped outside. He looked around, confused. He'd heard the phrase: _"your grave just got walked on"_ before, but this was the closest he'd ever come to feeling that. He looked around at their surroundings, and he located Farlan's pale blue car across the street. Maybe he was just on edge because of the discussion he and Erwin had just had.

"Right over there," supplied Eren. He started to guide Erwin's footsteps, aware of the man's lingering limp from his healing foot.

They used the crosswalk, and when they got to the car, they found it empty. Eren frowned, and he looked up and down the street. "Okay...uh, they said they'd wait here for us."

He then heard a muffled groan from the alleyway nearby. "Farlan? Is that you?"

"Eren, wait," cautioned Erwin as the singer jogged into the dark crevice between buildings.

Too worried by the sound he'd heard to heed the older man's warning, Eren clicked on the flashlight function of his phone. He saw a pale head of hair poking up from a pile of trash, and he recognized it. On the opposite side of the alley, he saw a pair of thin legs sprawled out from behind a garbage bin.

"Shit, what happened?" Eren called, torn between going to Isabel's aid first or Farlan's. He opted for the girl first, seeing as she seemed to be the more delicate of the two and unlike her partner, she wasn't moving. "Isabel, can you hear me?"

Her eyes fluttered a little, briefly cracking open to stare dizzily up at the sky. They drifted shut again, and Isabel's bright head slumped against Eren's arm.

"Erwin, I think they might have been mugged or something—"

Eren was in the process of trying to gather Isabel's deadweight up to lift her, awkwardly clutching his phone with one hand for light. He barely managed to get her an inch off the dirty concrete. He had time to see Erwin squatting up ahead to check on Farlan, and then his line of sight was blocked by a form in black. It dropped down silently above from the fire escape stairs etching the side of the building next to him. Eren looked up with a slack jaw to find himself staring up at his husband. Levi's pale gaze glittered in the light of the moon overhead and the lights from the street outside the alleyway, and there was no recognition in his eyes as he stared the singer down.

For an insanely inappropriate moment, all that Eren could think of was to wonder how Levi moved so fluidly wearing something that looked like it had been painted on him. It was some kind of bodysuit made of a stretchy material like spandex, and it reminded him of the wetsuit Levi used when he went surfing.

His priorities got rudely corrected when Levi's knee collided directly with his jaw. Eren saw stars, and he was forced to drop Isabel and try to block.

"Levi! It's me! L-Levi, stop!"

The only thing that saved Eren from getting clipped in the temple by the smaller man's follow-up swing was all of the hours they'd spent sparring together. Levi had taught him well, and he was vaguely surprised that he managed to block it.

"Levi, stand down," barked Erwin authoritatively.

Levi knocked Eren off his feet with a lightning-fast sweeping kick, and while the singer crashed to the alley groaning, Levi turned to look at Erwin. He drew a pair of wicked-looking carved knives from the sheaths at his thighs.

"Oh, shit," blurted Erwin, fumbling for his gun. There was no time. He didn't get it half-drawn before the smaller man was upon him, and Erwin somehow managed to dodge the first few strikes. He earned a kick to the stomach for his troubles and a punch to the throat that had him gasping.

"Levi!" yelled Eren.

He struggled to his feet, and he charged at his husband from behind. He tackled him, and they went down in a heap together, rolling in the alley. Why wasn't anyone doing anything? People had to hear this ruckus! Maybe they thought it was just a drunken alley brawl between guys and they just didn't want to get involved. So much for Farlan and Isabel providing added security.

"Eren, it's dangerous," shouted Erwin in warning as he grappled with his spouse, trying to get some kind of advantage.

It was no good. Levi was too limber, to strong and too skilled. Eren's head hit the bricks of the wall behind him as he collided with them. He was pinned down, and he looked up in astonishment as he felt the cold, cruel blade of a knife against his throat.

_~He's going to end me. This is it. I thought he'd be my death in the other life, but I guess it's going to be this one, instead.~_

"Captain," Eren whimpered, gazing up at him pleadingly. "At least...at least remember...who I am before you do this. I love you. Even if...you kill me...I love you."

Something snapped, in that moment. The cold and murderous gleam in Levi's gaze faded. His chill expression relaxed, and then he was looking at Eren with recognition. Bewilderment followed horror. Levi released the blade of the knife he held at Eren's throat, letting it clatter to the pavement. He shook his head, and his lips formed the words: _"no."_

"Levi?" whispered Eren, blinking back tears. "Baby?"

Levi stumbled to his feet. He glanced at Erwin, then back at Eren. He then heard Isabel mumble in disorientation, saw her lying there, and started panting softly. He again mouthed a denial, and he saw Farlan trying to crawl to his feet.

"Levi, stop, Goddamn it," implored Erwin as the displaced agent took off running further down the alley and away from them. He was gone before the pummeled director could even attempt to chase after him. Erwin hissed a curse, and he felt in his jacket for his phone. He called a number while Eren lay there in a puddle, still reaching out for his vanished love.

"Mike, call me back as soon as you can. There's been another encounter."

Erwin hung up, and he dialed another number. "Fuck. Nanaba, our rogue is on the move. Two agents are down. Eren's injured. Get the word out."

He tried yet another number, and this time someone picked up. "Hange? We just ran into Levi...or rather, his fists and limbs ran into us. Where are you? Yes, we could use some medical attention. We're across from...ah hell, what is it called? Reggie's Sports Bar and Grill, on 7th and 9th. Please hurry."

Erwin hung up the phone, wiped blood from his nose and went to Eren. He helped the younger man up. "Are you all right?"

"No," Eren said truthfully. His heart was breaking. The only thing worse than having Levi's knife to his throat was that awful look on the man's youthful face when Levi had his moment of clarity and realized what he'd done. "Is Hange coming?"

"Yes." Erwin went to help Farlan up. "Get Isabel. None of us are in any condition to try and chase Levi down, but in the struggle, I did manage to pin something on him."

"What is that supposed to mean?" grunted Eren, wincing in the act of picking Isabel up.

"A tracer," answered the director. "Although we may have only a limited amount of time to take advantage of it before Levi or those that hold him in thrall find it. I'll get people on it as soon as possible."

Eren's tailbone hurt from where it had hit the cement, and his ears were ringing from the blows he'd received. Fortunately, Isabel weighed about as much as a bird and he was able to carry her out of the alley to the waiting car behind Erwin. The keys were still in it, and by some miracle nobody had stolen the vehicle. Eren waited for his companion to get Farlan into the back seat and situated before he eased Isabel in beside him.

"Should I drive?" Eren asked, "or should we just ride with Hange when she gets here and come back for the cars tomorrow?"

"I think considering our condition, the latter idea might be the better one. For now, let's just sit down in the front and wait for her to show up. My head is spinning."

"Yeah," sighed Eren. He climbed into the driver's seat, while Erwin got into the front passenger seat. He looked over at the older man, taking note of the bruises forming on Erwin's face. The guy had really taken some beatings since this all started. "Was he after you or me?"

"Probably me," answered Erwin, resting back against the headrest. "He didn't threaten you with the knives until after you intervened against his attack on me. He seemed content to just incapacitate you to get you out of his way, until then."

Erwin turned his head, and he cracked his eyes open to look at Eren. "He stopped himself, though. Your words got through to him, Eren."

The reminder of the way Levi seemed to regain some of his senses in that moment made Eren want to yell in frustration. Just a few moments, and they might have had him. If he'd just stayed and listened...

"Eren, you need to keep it firmly in mind that the person who attacked us wasn't your Levi."

Eren looked at the director again, and he wanted to contest that. He couldn't really deny it, though. Levi was still in there, but he'd been violated in one of the worst ways. Like Hange said the day Levi attacked Erwin: at least he was still in there. How much of him would be left by the time they saw him again, though?

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recap:
> 
> Levi: "I'm a cosplayer. Stop fucking questioning it."
> 
> Eren: "Armin, my cosplayer...uh, my captain...ah...Levi got found and then lost again! Get me home!"
> 
> Armin: "I hardly understand a word you just said."
> 
> Eren: *SOBS*
> 
> Armin: (‘﹏*๑) "Okay, Eren...we'll get you home."
> 
> Eren: "Ah, I just have to torment myself with nostalgic footage of our wedding and anniversary party. Man, Levi looks hot here. W-wait a minute..." (　ﾟДﾟ)＜!! "Erwin, stop eyeballing my Levi that way!"
> 
> Hange (one month later): (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ 
> 
> Moblit: "Hange, destroying your workspace isn't going to help us find Levi any faster."
> 
> Hange: "It's like trying to find a single angry little flea on the ass of the world's hairiest dog! Or in Erwin's eyebrows."
> 
> Moblit: "We'll find him. Just keep calm and—"
> 
> Hange: "Fuck, our database just went down."
> 
> Erwin: "Oh look, there's Levi."
> 
> Moblit: "So that's what happened to the mainframe."
> 
> Guards: "Intruder? What intruder? We didn't see anything. Those aren't the droids we're looking for."
> 
> Farlan and Isabel: "We'll just wait out here and keep watch, Eren."
> 
> Eren: "Shit, Erwin's about to tell me he's marrying my mom and try to bond with me."
> 
> Erwin: "*hic*! Actually, I was just going to offer your OMG gear back to you. Oh, and Levi made another appearance. He fucked up our database system and we're offline."
> 
> Eren: "Aw, man! What are you guys doing, sitting on your hands?"
> 
> Farlan and Isabel: ٩(×̯×)۶
> 
> Eren: "Hey, what are you guys doing laying down on the job?"
> 
> Erwin: "Oh look, there's Levi again."
> 
> Levi: (눈_눈)
> 
> Eren: "Uh...wow, is that outfit painted on? I can't tell if he's happy to see me or—"
> 
> Levi: (ᓄಠ_ಠ)ᓄ
> 
> Erwin: "I'm guessing that would be a 'no'."
> 
> Eren: *groan* "Love...hurts."
> 
> Erwin: "Medic! We need a medic!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Weekend!

"You were staring at his ass."

Holding a cold compress against his jaw to bring down the swelling, Erwin looked at his companion sidelong. They were at the clinic in headquarters, and Hange had stepped out to take care of a couple of things.

"I beg your pardon?"

Eren huffed at the man's coy response. He winced as he shifted on the examination table next to Erwin's. Lying on his side due to his tailbone getting bruised, the singer affixed his former commander with a level stare. "When Levi jumped us in that alley. You were staring at his ass, weren't you? That's why you didn't react immediately."

Erwin sighed, and he shifted the compress to the other side of his jaw. Evidently he'd taken a hit on both sides. Hange said he was lucky he didn't suffer a fracture or break, and Eren hadn't even seen those two hits land in the fracas. "I didn't react immediately because I was tipsy with alcohol, trying to help Farlan, trying to warn you away, and taken by surprise."

Eren kept staring at him.

"Fine," muttered Erwin. "I did happen to notice his ass. His attire didn't leave much to the imagination, the way it molded to his physique."

Eren relaxed. "Finally, you admit it." He rubbed his own jaw where he'd taken a hit as well. "I guess I can't blame you. I was staring too. It's fucked up that someone can look so hot while beating the shit out of both of us. Maybe that was the point; to distract people in a fight."

Erwin smirked, and then he winced at the pain it caused to his swollen mouth. "It was actually a variation of attire for stealth combatants, though I can see how you would draw that conclusion. It's insulated, highly flexible and strong material that allows the wearer free range of movement, while offering protection as well. What I would like to know is where his ODM gear was. I haven't seen him use it in any sightings since I found him at that house."

Eren hadn't even thought of that, but the director was right. Levi hadn't even been wearing his harness. "Maybe he's saving it for something."

"Maybe," agreed Erwin. "He also likely has a finite number of blades and replacement hooks for anchoring. In addition, traveling around on ODM gear in daylight hours would draw too much attention."

"He could have used it to follow us last night and stashed it somewhere," suggested Eren, "but I wonder how he's been getting around when he's not using it. I don't think he'd keep using his bike, because it's too easy to recognize even if he's wearing a helmet to hide his face. Plus, they'd be looking for the license plate."

"I'm sure the people responsible for this have provided him with alternate transportation to make it harder to track him, but with luck, that tracer I pinned on him didn't fall off or get removed yet."

"With luck," sighed Eren. Hange had taken the program installment thumb drive from Erwin to give it to Moblit, who would put it on his laptop and get started trying to track Levi's movements. "Where did you stick it to him, anyway? Everything happened so fast."

"Somewhere on his back during the struggle," said Erwin a little uncertainly. "There was no time to aim."

Eren scowled at him.

"Not on his ass," assured the director, guessing his thoughts. "Between his shoulders, somewhere. Right after you tackled him."

"Oh." Eren closed his eyes, and he bowed his head. "I hope it works, at least long enough for the agency to close in on him and get him."

"It depends on how fast he's moving, and how soon we can get air and ground teams deployed. There is one advantage to hanging back rather than trying to bring him in right away, though."

Eren looked at him like he was nuts. "Why the hell would you want to do that? He needs help as soon as we can get it to him!"

"Because he's likely to return to his base soon, if not immediately," explained Erwin. "If we capture him before he makes it there, then we lose an opportunity. Levi could lead us to the people behind all of this."

"That's too risky." Eren thought of that look on Levi's face earlier, when the man came to his senses long enough to stop himself and realize what he'd done. Eren shook his head. "No. You could lose that tracer if you wait too long. Even if you don't and he leads you to the enemy, how would you get him back out again once he makes it there? You don't even know who it is or what they've got."

"Let's assume we manage to track Levi back to his base of operations," reasoned Erwin. "Our next move would be to gather as much intel as possible without revealing ourselves, and then we would strike...just as we did with the BRS and Satellite Core facilities during the last conflict."

"I'd rather you get Levi back and _then_ worry about finding the base and striking," insisted Eren. "Maybe we could get him to snap out of it long enough to give some information that would help. Levi would be safe, instead of trapped and getting more brainwashed every day, and you'd have a direct source of information about the enemy."

"Eren, believe me I have thought of that route," sighed the older man. "The problem is that in Levi's current condition, no information he might give us can be trusted. Even if he's lucid enough to try and help, we can't be sure that anything he says is accurate. These people have tampered with his mind. It's likely that they've taken measures to prevent him from sharing details about their facilities, location and numbers."

Eren lowered his gaze. "I...guess that makes sense. But if you let him go back to that place—wherever it is—you could lose him again. You'll end up fighting him along with whatever other forces they have."

"It's possible," conceded Erwin. "All right, I'll put the word out that Agent Ackerman is to be captured and detained as soon as possible. If that succeeds, then we'll just have to find another way to locate and deal with the antagonists."

* * *

Somewhere beneath the city, Levi was in an abandoned subway tunnel. The oppressive enclosure, the darkness and the stink were familiar things to him, carried over from a time he would have liked to forget. Of all the memories he could lose, his days as a thug in the underground were the ones he would have least missed. He knew how to traverse these tunnels, though. He knew where they led to, where the access points were and how to get from point A to point B through them without exposing himself to the surface. Sewer systems and tunnels like this were his best option.

He'd stopped here though, as the weight of what had happened dragged him down. He'd lured Farlan and Isabel out of their car and dosed them. He'd attacked Erwin again. Worst of all, he'd put a knife to his own husband's throat. The man he'd sworn to protect, both in this life and the last. Granted in that other life, he'd been tasked with executing Eren Jaeger if it ever came to it, but this was different.

Sometimes he blacked out completely when the compulsion took over. Other times he was aware, but it was like he was caught in a dream and he couldn't stop himself. This time had been that way. He'd seen it all take place as if watching through a misty veil, struggling to wake up. He'd heard of people having sleep paralysis before, and he imagined it was something like that. He'd fought it, but it wasn't until Eren stared up at him with those ridiculous fake glasses crooked on his face, tears in his eyes and declarations of love spilling from his lips that Levi was able to break out of his trance completely.

Levi pounded at the wall he was curled up against with the meaty part of his fist, trying to pull his head together. His vision was suspiciously blurring, and he felt the trickle of tears on his cheeks. He couldn't remember. He had holes in his recollection. He didn't know what day it was, where he'd been or who he'd been talking to. He couldn't bring any faces to mind when he tried to concentrate on who did this to him. He just had those moments when he was around people he cared for, and everything else was lost in a black haze.

He'd slipped up, he realized. He'd done something wrong, in addition to failing to do something he was supposed to do but couldn't clarify. What was it? Levi took a deep, shaken breath, wiped at his eyes and tried to replay the scene from earlier in his mind, no matter how painful it was. First off, he'd left something he shouldn't have left. He couldn't think of what, but he knew some part of him had done it on purpose. There was something else, though, something he'd noticed after making it to this part of the tunnel...

When he sat back against the wall, he felt something digging into his back, just under his right shoulder blade. It was scratchy against his skin, like a burr you might pick up after rolling in the grass. He reached back behind him with his left arm, leaning forward a little. Feeling around with his fingers, he located a hard little object wedged into his clothes. It was smaller than his pinky nail, flat and round on the outside. The inside—the part pressing against his skin—was the scratchy part.

He again replayed as much of the confrontation as he could recall. He remembered Erwin slapping him on the back at one point, right about when Eren charged him. That was an odd thing to do, but Erwin rarely did anything without a specific reason. Levi kept examining the foreign object, his mind racing. He finally figured out what it was, and a powerful impulse to tear it free of his clothes and smash it came over him.

Somehow, with tremendous effort of will, he overpowered that impulse. He pulled his shaking hand away, and he clenched both fists over his lap. Levi took a moment to breath slowly and steadily, fighting an inward battle all the while.

"Just a snag," he whispered over and over to himself. "It's just a piece of trash or something...got wedged in there during the fight. Leave it."

He got to his feet, using the wall for support. "And I didn't leave anything behind."

* * *

Hange examined the two tiny darts she'd extracted from Isabel and Farlan's necks. Unlike the director and Eren, these two hadn't sustained any injuries beyond a couple of scratches. If she had to guess, Levi must have shot them without otherwise physically confronting them. She carefully placed the items in an air-tight sample jar, and then she pocketed the jar in the lab coat she'd hastily thrown on upon arrival.

"Let's see," she muttered to the unconscious duo. "If this is the same thing Levi used on those two guards the other night, it's not long-lasting and you should wake up pretty soon. Of course, the darts were left in place longer in the case, so you probably have more of the toxin in your systems than they did. We'll just have to wait and see."

Patting the pocket containing the precious samples, she left the examination room holding Farlan and Isabel, and she spoke to the assistant she'd called in to help her. "Keep them under observation, Ira. Let me know if they start having any negative reactions or wake up."

"Yes ma'am," agreed the dark-haired medic.

Hange left her to it, and she went back to her other patients' room. Eren and Erwin were right where she'd left them, both of them broodingly quiet. "Isabel and Farlan should be just fine," she assured, stepping in. "Mike is moving out now to conduct a night ops search mission. Moblit's got the tracking program pulled up on his laptop, and it's working so far. He said he's got a lock on Levi—unless the little runt pawned the tracer off on a rat or something. He was in the tunnel system last time Moblit reported to me."

Eren perked up. "So they're on their way to get him now?"

Hange smiled. "Like I said: they're moving out. It seems Nanaba took care of getting the clearance for a mission like this ahead of time, since we knew it might be coming sooner or later."

She rounded on Erwin, and her expression sobered. "Now, time for some questions of my own. Just what do you think you're doing, Commander?"

Erwin bore a confused look on his face. "Recovering from an ass-kicking. I haven't moved since you left this room."

"I mean with all of this flitting around on your own, knowing Levi is on the loose and is assumed to have a prime directive to get rid of you. I thought the plan was for you to have another agent with you most of the time." She studied him intensely, trying to read him. "People are starting to think you have a death wish."

"And they used to call _me_ a suicidal maniac," remarked Eren.

"Shush. Let him speak," advised Hange. She nodded at Erwin. "Let's hear it, Erwin."

"No, I don't have a death wish." Erwin took the cool compress off his jaw, and he rubbed it gingerly. "I usually take Petra with me whenever I go anywhere besides to or from here and work. I even bring her with me to Madeline's to keep watch whenever I go over there."

"Yet you went to meet Eren at this sports' bar alone," she pointed out, "and Mike told me that you went out to eat alone after work the night before the security breach with the mainframe."

"I knew that Eren would have Farlan and Isabel with him," excused the director. "Not that it did us any good. I had some things to discuss with him, and I wanted to speak with him in relative privacy, but with people around us."

"Hmm." Hange wasn't completely buying it, but his logic made some sense. "So what's the excuse for dining out alone?"

"Does a man really need an excuse to enjoy a nice meal and some quiet time after working late?"

"Next time, order takeout," suggested Hange. She glanced at Eren. "Excuse us for a little while, kiddo. I have some things I need to speak to Erwin about that are kind of classified. Why don't you rest up, and we'll get you home as soon as I can release Isabel and Farlan."

* * *

Hange took him to her office, bade him to sit down, and she had a seat at her desk. She slid Erwin's gun across the desk to him, having taken it while treating his and Eren's injuries. "Now, why don't you tell me the truth? This is a special-made tranquilizer gun you were carrying on you. Not to mention the tracer tags and the synchronized program for them."

Hange gave him a shrewd look. "Did you know that Levi would show up tonight?"

"No," he immediately said. "If I knew he would make an appearance again so soon after sabotaging the database, I wouldn't have invited Eren to meet up with me. I deliberately chose a setting neither one of us would ordinarily be in, thinking there might be a chance Levi was monitoring my usual places of interest."

"But you've been hoping he would at other times, right?"

Erwin sighed, and he dropped his hands into his lap. "I had the notion that I might be able to lure him. If our suspicion is right and I'm a primary target, then it stands to reason that he's going to keep seeking out opportunities to fulfill his directive. I've been trying not to make it obvious, and I want to avoid putting other in needless danger."

Hange chuckled. "I think Levi showed you tonight that he isn't going to strike when and how you want him to."

"Hmph. He never really has."

"So, are you going to abandon this tactic after tonight? Or are you just a sucker for being on the receiving end of a good beating from your ex sweetheart?"

"If I have to be the bait, then I will," answered Erwin calmly. "Hopefully it won't be necessary again after tonight. I've been counting on him holding back enough for me or someone else to have the chance to tag him or bag him."

She shrugged. "And you tagged him. Nice job."

Erwin didn't allow it to go to his head. "He did put a blade to Eren's throat. I have to take that into consideration. He stopped himself, but one slip could have spelled tragedy. Honestly, seeing him do that was what made me start to doubt the baiting method."

"But he's still holding back," reminded Hange, "oh, and that's not all. There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

Erwin watched as she pulled something out of her pocket and set it on the desk beside his gun. He frowned at it and he picked the specimen container up. "The darts used on Isabel and Farlan?"

Hange nodded. "Exactly. Levi didn't just hold back tonight. He left us evidence."

"I don't follow."

"When Levi did the same thing to those guards to get into the control room, he collected the darts as soon as they went down. He was wearing gloves. He didn't leave a trace behind, Erwin. None of us even knew he was there until the next day."

"True." He looked at the darts again. "How is this evidence, though? It isn't likely to help us track him down."

"It's evidence that Levi wants to get caught." Hange nodded at the object in Erwin's hand. "Don't you see? He's trying to tell us something. There should be traces on these darts of whatever he's been using to put people out. I can do lab work and try to find out what it is, and if the broken vial found at the site of Levi's disappearance also has traces of the same thing, we can confirm it was also used on him to block his memory of what happened to him. I may even be able to come up with a counter to it. If so, he can tell us where they took him and what they did to him."

"I see." Erwin put the container down. "And you think you could accomplish this 'antidote', for lack of a better term?"

Hange raised her brows. "Not to toot my own horn, but I _did_ create the formula that gave us access to our past life memories. I may even be able to adjust that formula accordingly, but I need to study these traces, first."

"I'm not sure what that might do to him," said Erwin uncertainly. "Levi's always remembered the previous life, as has Kenny and Mikasa. I'm no scientist, but we know there's something different in the way Ackermans process memories from the rest of us."

"I've already taken that into account, and luckily, I have a couple of pints of Levi's blood in storage. Even if we fail to bring him in right now, I can use some of that to help with my research. If I have to custom make a memory formula specifically for him, then I'll do it."

That was right; all agents donated some of their own blood to the medical and research department, just in case they got injured in the field and needed a transfusion. Erwin had forgotten about that.

"Do what you can. How is your idea for the air ducts in the building coming along?"

"They're working on that," she answered. "We're stretched a little thin right now, because most of the tech department are focused on repairing the database." She stretched and rubbed her eyes. "Damn, I'm tired. I need more bean juice."

"I could use some myself. Let's go to the break area and make a pot."

* * *

"Mike, do you have a visual yet?"

He was heading the air search team, with Nanaba and another pilot behind and flanking him. Mike was glad that his girlfriend had transferred from the Air Brigade to the UFI. She tended only to do piloting missions, but she was by no means lacking in the department of marksmanship or ground combat. It made him feel more confident to have her on his team, assisting with this.

"Nothing yet, but according to the tracking coordinates Moblit's feeding, he should be coming up beneath me soon. Looks like he's heading out of the city toward the hills."

Mike kept a sharp eye out on the ground, while his copilot Cisco operated the spotlight.

"Come on, where are you?" muttered the towering blond agent. Levi shouldn't still be underground, surely...

"There! I see him!"

Mike tensed as Cisco shone the spotlight on the stretch of highway coming out from under the bay tunnel. Levi had opted for that rather than the bridge to cross. It made sense. He shot out of the tunnel riding a pitch black motorcycle. It was hard to tell from this distance if it was his own, but Mike was willing to bet if it was he was at least using a different plate, if he hadn't covered up or painted over the decal work.

"Target spotted," announced Mike over the communications frequency. "I'll move in first. You guys flank me, but hang back until I give the word. Notify ground teams."

Mike descended while his copilot kept the spotlight trained on the small, rider below. Mike thought about calling out to Levi and advising him to pull off and surrender, but he had a feeling that wasn't going to amount to anything. The rogue agent already knew they were there, and he wasn't stopping. Mike narrowed his eyes when he noticed something else. Erwin had said Levi wasn't wearing his ODM gear when he'd attacked in the alley, but he was equipped with it now. Assuming he'd stored it somewhere and put it on after the encounter, Mike gave warning to his companions.

"The target is equipped with his ODM gear. Be careful; Agent Ackerman has a history of—"

Mike broke off with a curse as Levi spun a 180 on the road so that he was facing them, fired his gear anchors and lifted off his bike.

"Tranquilizers," he snapped at Cisco, swerving in the air to try and dislodge Levi or at least make it harder for him to reel himself in for an accurate hit.

It was no good. Cisco let go of the spotlight controls to fumble with the gun, and while he did get it ready quickly and tried to take aim, they no longer had a direct spotlight on Levi. The rogue's blades whirred and slashed in the front light beams of the chopper, his black-clad body spinning like a corkscrew. Cisco had no clear shot, and that was the least of their worries when a screeching, rending noise deafened them. The chopper listed to one side, pieces of the rotary blade breaking off and slamming against the pilot's side. The glass cracked but didn't shatter.

"We're going down," Mike announced, trying to keep some semblance of control over the craft. It was no good. He looked to Cisco. "Bail. Use your 'chute."

"You don't have one," shouted the copilot.

"I've got this," said Mike, pointing at his gear harness. "Go!"

Cisco hesitated for a second longer, and then he jumped out. Mike had no time to watch and make sure he made it safely to the ground. He leaped out of the falling helicopter, and he straightened out his body as he free-fell. Levi was already back on his bike, taking off again. Mike could try anchoring onto the motorcycle, but that would just result in him taking a ski trip on the pavement behind his friend and ending up with road rash or worse. The only other anchors available near the highway were the street lamps. He could try to follow on his ODM gear using them as anchor points, or he could just break his fall and leave the rest to the others.

Mike opted for the former option, and he spoke into his communication headpiece as he caught his grapplers on the nearest street lamp and reeled in on the downswing. "Nanaba, keep air support at a safe distance." His chopper crashed to the ground off-road, thankfully not on top of any structures or properties. "Same thing could happen to you guys, if you get too close. Just follow."

"Roger. Ground teams are falling behind due to the traffic on the other side of the bay."

Mike sighed. So, it was just them. Maybe the ground teams would catch up, but at the speed Levi's bike was traveling, he doubted it. He frowned as he latched on from one light post to another, having no choice but to anchor-jump no more than two posts ahead of him due to their limited height. It seemed like Levi had slowed down just a little, because Mike was actually catching up to him.

"Keep your distance, air teams," he reminded. "Nanaba, keep following me. Mason, find and retrieve Cisco while we keep pace with the target."

"Understood, sir," confirmed Mason, and his chopper turned around to search for their comrade.

"Agent Zacharius, wait," Moblit warned over the frequency. "Cap...I mean Agent Ackerman is slowing down a lot."

"Yeah, we noticed."

Hange's voice broke into the communications. "I think you guys should stop pursuit."

"Why? Could be running out of gas," reasoned Mike, "and if he is, we've got a chance to catch him."

"We've just got a gut feeling," Hange explained. "If you're going to keep up pursuit, be extra careful."

"Stop pursuit," Erwin's voice said over the frequency. "The technicians have satellite access working again on the systems, and the area you're about to enter isn't showing up. Something isn't right."

Mike sighed. "Roger. All teams except for Nanaba, return to headquarters."

"What are you planning?" Erwin inquired.

"I want to have a look. I'll scout ahead and meet back up with Nanaba to ride back with her."

* * *

Still at headquarters, Eren was unable to sleep. He dozed a little bit, but then he ended up going into the break room to watch television and wait for news. Hange came in after a while, looking both exhausted and wired. She sat down beside him with a huff.

"How are you holding up, dear?"

"Just waiting to hear something," he mumbled. His eyes were unblinking in his fatigue, and he was starting to feel like a zombie.

"Well, you're in luck. I have news."

Eren found his second wind, and he straightened up from his slumped position. "Did they get him?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm sorry."

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Is there _any_ good news?"

"Oh yes. First, I'll have you know Levi kept that bug on him through the whole chase."

Eren made a face. "Bug? Oh, you mean the tracer."

She nodded. "Mm-hmm, and if I know Levi, the grump probably knew it was on him."

"So what does that mean?"

Hange rubbed the tired, emotionally drained young man's shoulder. "It means he's trying to help us find him, in his own way. Maybe his ability to do that is limited by the mind alteration that was done to him, but he's still fighting. I thought he could have been trying to lure our people into a trap for a minute, but his tracking signal went dark about a mile before he reached his destination. I think he timed it so that nobody could follow him straight into his base and end up captured or worse. He led us close enough to find it."

"So you know where he's been going?"

"We're pretty sure! Mike used his gear to survey the area alone, and he kept sight of Levi from a safe distance and followed off-road. He saw him go into a facility there. He got a few photos on his phone, but seeing as they were taken at night, they won't tell us much. Mike said that there were only a few lights on. He said it looks like a hydro plant on the surface, but I'm sure it's so much more than that."

Eren rubbed his eyes again. "How can you be sure? Maybe Levi just went there to hide."

"Because for one, Mike said there were guards and an automated gate. They let Levi right in. I can't think of any business he'd have with power generation, can you?"

"Well, no," admitted Eren.

"But there's more," Hange went on. "That area isn't showing up on Satellite imagery. Granted, glitches can happen, but we're inclined to believe it's been deliberately tampered with. Someone's keeping a secret there, and Levi's involved."

A spark of hope lit. "You really think he was trying to guide them?"

Hange nodded. "I really do. He also left the darts behind that he shot Farlan and Isabel with, so I can do some lab work and study the traces of the toxin he used. They've both woken up, and my suspicions are confirmed. They don't have any memory of seeing Levi or being shot in the neck by him. We don't know how they ended up in the alley, but we're assuming they must have seen him and gotten out of the car to go after him. Otherwise, he would have had to shoot them through the window and drag them out. I can't see why he would do that, can you?"

"Well, maybe to lure Erwin and me into the alley and out of public sight?"

"Oh." Hange blinked. "You know, I didn't consider that. I must be more tired than I thought. All right, we'll list that as another possibility. Unfortunately, Isabel and Farlan can't answer that for us."

"I guess it doesn't matter _how_ he got to them," sighed Eren. "He did, and that's that. I'm just glad they're okay and you think you've found out where Levi's being kept. Is the agency planning a strike?"

"Try to be patient, Eren." Hange yawned widely, and she pinched herself on the arm. "Whoo, I am about dead on my feet. Anywho, plans _will_ be set into motion, but there are things to work on first. It would be so much easier to plan a counterattack on our enemies if we had more intel on them. The best way to get that would be to have Levi back in our custody."

"You aren't going to move in and rescue him? I thought that was going to be Erwin's plan! He said Levi can't be relied on to give information because his head's been fucked with. Now you're saying you want to leave him in there longer and wait for him to show up again before you do anything?" Eren's breath quickened with frustration.

"Calm down, sweetheart," Hange said, sternly yet compassionately. "Plans evolve and change as the situation does. I can't go into details right now, but I may be able to find a way to reverse his memory loss. I need more time, but if I can do this, he'll be able to tell us more about what happened to him and who did it. Reversing the mind control part could be trickier, but rest assured, I won't stop trying until it's done."

Her words brought him some comfort. He knew from many past experiences that Hange Zoë hardly knew the meaning of the word "quit", and she'd always been good on her word. "I just wish he was home."

Hange gave him a hug and a pat. "So do I. You should go home with Isabel and Farlan as soon as they're released, Eren. The best thing you can do right now is get some rest and take care of yourself, okay? Hell, we _all_ could use some rest."

"Yeah." He pulled back to look at her, noting the circles of fatigue around her eyes and the redness in them. "You should get some sleep too."

"That's going to be my next mission after arranging for your hosts to be released," she promised. I'm going to call in some extra help, once I've refreshed a little."

* * *

"I didn't complete the directive," Levi stated mechanically.

Zeke's disappointment was mild. "I suppose we need to give it time. I didn't expect it to go flawlessly on the first try. What about Smith?"

"He was there. He got away as well."

Now Zeke looked a bit more annoyed. "Your feelings for that man are stronger than I'd guessed. Well, third time is a charm. We need Erwin out of the way and Eren in our hands, Captain."

Levi's hands twitched, but he otherwise didn't respond.

"Ah, don't look at it as betraying your spouse," advised Zeke. "Think of it as bringing him home with you. The two of you would be together. At least, until your use has expired. I might even keep you around afterwards. Your skills are...substantial. Without peer even, little monster."

Levi narrowed his eyes, his hooded gaze flashing in a glare. He didn't otherwise respond.

"It was a compliment," said Zeke with a smirk. "I underestimated you once, but I have a better understanding, now. Were you followed?"

It was a trick question, really. Zeke's organization would have known if any aircrafts or ground vehicles came within a mile of this location, and they were prepared to deal with it.

"No," stated Levi flatly. He couldn't help but add: "There was some pursuit at first, but I lost them."

"Good."

Zeke studied him, taking note of his appearance. "Go and eat, and then get cleaned up. Don't forget to shave again. You're getting stubble. It wouldn't be like Captain Levi Ackerman to let his appearance go to scruffiness. People might not recognize you."

* * *

In his assigned quarters, Levi ate a meal provided for him by one of the staff assigned to monitor him. He ate mechanically, not even tasting the food. It was just fuel to him, necessary to keep him going. He slid his tray under the bolted door for pickup when he was finished, disposed of the bottle of water he'd procured from the mini-fridge in his chamber, and got undressed. He went into the bathroom, got in the shower and stayed in there for longer than necessary to get clean, spending several moments with his head bowed under the spray of water. It helped clear his thoughts. Helped him review everything he recalled of the day's events and cling to his sense of self.

He'd tried to stop and wait for his pursuers. He'd tried to give them a chance to catch up when another moment of clarity had come to him, but for some reason, they'd hung back. He'd known if he went any further, he'd be within range of the facility's monitoring system and so would anyone that followed him, so he attempted to let himself be captured. He'd felt the fog coming back again, though. He wouldn't be able to hold back the violence if they caught up with him, so he tore off the little tracer Erwin had attached to him, ground it under his boot heel and pressed on as the compulsion dictated.

Now he was in here, still unsure of who was pulling his strings and acting on subliminal orders. He finally finished showering, and he wrapped a towel around himself as he went to the sink. He slicked his hair back and he got a dollop of lather from the can sitting on it. He paused as he gazed at his reflection in the mirror and spread the lather over his palms.

_~I don't think Eren's ever seen me with face hair.~_

It wasn't hard for Levi to keep a smooth face...never had been. It took days for him to get even a hint of stubble. In fact, Levi could go for a week without having to touch a razor to his face. He never let it get to the point where there was a noticeable shadow; he always shaved before it started coming in, about once a week. Even so, Levi used his aftershave each morning because he liked the refreshing tingle, the scent and the way Eren liked to breathe it in when nuzzling him.

Levi sighed, and he lathered up his face. Thinking of Eren's enthusiasm for his aftershave made his heart hurt. Levi had told him he could use it too if he liked it so much, but Eren said he liked the smell on _Levi_. He said it was just for his captain, because it had green tea in it and subtle citrus notes that Eren associated with Levi.

Right about now, Levi would have liked to have some of Eren's spice-scented aftershave to put on afterwards, if only so that he could sleep with his husband's scent on him.

* * *

Eren slept the whole day through, once they got back to Farlan and Isabel's place. His hosts fed the dogs for him and let him sleep in. He woke up as the sun was setting to the smell of hot, fresh pizza. Eren's stomach growled, and he realized he hadn't eaten anything for nearly twenty-four hours. He sat up in the couch-bed, and he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Glancing over at the dining area near the kitchen, he saw Isabel and Farlan sitting at their little dinning table chatting softly and munching on slices of pizza.

Farlan was the first to notice the activity in the living room, and he offered Eren a friendly smile. "Hey Eren. Are you alive again?"

"I think so," he mumbled, unaware that his hair was sticking out in different directions. He patted his dogs, who were lying on the bed with him in loyal diligence. "What time is it?"

"Going on seven," answered Isabel. "Come have a few slices, Eren. We ordered a supreme, a meat lovers and an extra cheese pizza. Plenty of variety! After yesterday, we deserve to indulge, right?"

Eren forced a tiny smile. "Yeah. Pizza would be good."

He pulled the covers aside and got up to join them. There were already paper plates and napkins set out on the kitchen counter by the pizza boxes, so he grabbed one of each, and he got a slice of each kind of pizza. He pulled up a chair at the table, and he gave his hosts a sheepish look. He must look like hell. Dressed in an old t-shirt with the logo of one of his favorite bands and a pair of worn jogging pants, unwashed, unshaven and un-brushed, he was sure he looked like a slob.

"I'll get cleaned up and make up the bed after I eat," Eren apologized. "I'm not usually this sloppy."

Isabel waved it off, and she swallowed the bite of cheese pizza in her mouth before answering. "Don't worry about it, Eren."

Farlan nodded. "You've been a good houseguest, and we know you clean up after yourself."

"I don't think any of us are in a cleaning mood," sighed Isabel. "I started to earlier, but it made me think of big bro and then I got depressed."

Eren lowered his gaze, and he swallowed a lump. So close. He'd come so close to getting Levi back. "Yeah," he whispered.

"Yeah," agreed Farlan, just as softly.

Isabel pursed her lips in thought, and her blue-green eyes lit up. "You know what we should do? We should make it a movie night. We'll straighten up the couch-bed while Eren gets cleaned up and changed, and we'll pick out something to watch together. I can pop some corn."

"I'm up for it," said Farlan. "What do you think, Eren?"

He nodded. "Sure."

His response sounded like something Levi would say, and he got another damned lump in his throat. He remedied it by having a swallow of the glass of soda he'd poured for himself. His husband didn't like it when he drank soda, but Levi kept it to himself as long as Eren didn't overdo it. He even ate pizza with him on Fridays.

"Nothing sad," Eren insisted.

"Right." Farlan nodded. "Something funny."

"And cute," Isabel chimed in.

"Maybe a little stupid," suggested Eren. "Not a romantic comedy, please."

"Ugh, I second that." Farlan grinned as Isabel swatted at him. "All right, we'll find something. Eat up, guys."

Eren noticed that Luka had come up to sit at his feet, and the Shepard's tail was wagging expectantly. That was his fault for sneaking him the occasional table scrap, which Levi was four-square against. Whoops. He tried to mimic his husband's stern stare, lifting a brow a little. It didn't work. Luka wasn't feeling the "don't even try" vibe. Eren just didn't have Levi's talent for halting bad behavior with a glance.

"No, Luka," he sighed. "You've had dinner. Go on...go." He waved a hand to shoo the dog, and Luka huffed a little with disappointment. Ears drooping, he trotted away to join Lena on the balcony. Since the weather was nice, they often left the sliding door open until the bugs came out so that the animals could get some fresh air.

_~I should get off my ass and take them to the dog park tomorrow. They've been so cooped up here, and they haven't had a real walk for a while. Taking them out to use the bathroom isn't enough.~_

Though he wasn't really feeling it, Eren made a silent vow to do that tomorrow, or by the next day at least. Maybe it would help cheer him up a little, and the pups would get some exercise.

* * *

That night, the three of them enjoyed an animated movie together, picked out by Isabel. It was cute, it was funny and it had silly moments. Eren waited to shave until after the film, and after doing so, he considered his toiletry bag. He opened it up, and he found Levi's aftershave splash in it. He opened it up and inhaled deeply of the scent, shutting his eyes tightly. He hesitated for a moment, and then he made an exception to his usual rule. Levi wasn't there. The rule didn't count, and he sorely needed to smell his captain on him tonight.

Careful to only use a little, Eren shook some of the bottle contents into his palm, set it down and rubbed his hands together. He applied the aftershave to his face and he ignored the sting. Levi. He could smell Levi now. His eyes burned, and he refused to give in and cry anymore. His husband was out there, and it was time for Eren to buck up, stop whining and be strong for him.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recaps:
> 
> Eren: "I saw you! I saw you staring at Levi's ass?"
> 
> Erwin: "What ass? I saw no ass." 
> 
> Eren: "His adorable little peach of an ass. Just admit it."
> 
> Erwin: "...he really does have an ass like a peach, doesn't he?"
> 
> Eren: "Yeah. Wait, you aren't supposed to look! Especially while he was kicking our asses!"
> 
> Erwin: "All right, I'm guilty. So are you."
> 
> Eren: "...I'm giving you a pass this time."
> 
> Levi: (Isn't there but still has influence) "I planted that suggestion with my tight clothes."
> 
> Hange: "So, boys...sorry to interrupt the conversation about Levi's peach-shaped ass, but I need to talk to Erwin about his monumental suicide streak. Also, search teams are mobilizing to search for our missing peach...um, I mean grump. Levi. Yeah."
> 
> Erwin: "I'm not being reckless."
> 
> Hange: ლ(▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ლ)
> 
> Erwin: "...All right, maybe just a little reckless."
> 
> Hange: "I can fix him and make him better. Stronger, harder, faster.."
> 
> Erwin: "Just fix him, all right? I don't think he needs enhancement, you mad woman."
> 
> Mike: "No sign of the target. Wait...I see him."
> 
> Mike's co-pilot: "Tiny target is angry, tiny target is angry!!"
> 
> Mike: (ლ `Д ́)ლ "WTF does Levi have against helicopters?"
> 
> Zeke: ψ(｀∇´)ψ "Mwah-ha-ha!"
> 
> Levi: *shaves* "I miss Eren."
> 
> Eren: *also shaves* "I miss Levi."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should mention here that the past canon events in this story don't reflect what actually has happened so far in the manga. I started this series before all of the recent revelations occurred, so some things referenced in the past life differs from canon.

A couple of days went by. Eren forced himself to get out with the dogs and go to the park with them. He tried to stop feeling so sorry for himself and keep his spirits up. At least he knew that Levi was still alive, and that counted for something. Farlan and Isabel went with them, but they stayed by the car to give Eren a little space, figuring he should be safe enough with the two dogs to have a little walk on his own.

"What do you guys think?" Eren asked of the two animals he was walking. "How long should I wait before trying to find Levi myself? I know the agency has as much reason to want him back as I do, and they've promised to do whatever it takes to bring him home. I'm just scared by the time they get him, he'll be too far gone and he won't be the man I married anymore."

Luka and Lena weren't any help, but the latter whined at the sound of Levi's name. They missed him too, Eren realized. They couldn't understand what was going on, and he wondered if they thought their other daddy had left them on purpose. Eren pulled them to a stop beneath a large oak tree, and he squatted down to look each dog in the eye and give them a comforting pat.

"Hey, Levi didn't abandon us, okay? I know he's been gone for a long time and you can't really understand what I'm saying, but he loves us and I know he wants to come home. He's trying, and our friends are trying to help him."

And to think, Eren always worried the animals would forget him while he was away whenever he did extended tours. That never happened, though. They always greeted him with love and enthusiasm when he came home, and he knew they would do the same for Levi. They were probably kind of used to Eren going away for a few months at a time, but Levi had never been away from them for so long.

"I wish I could use you guys to sniff him down," sighed Eren. He'd actually considered trying that, too. He thought if he got one of Levi's shirts from the house and let them sniff it, he could take them to the last place he'd seen his husband and see if they could follow his scent trail. They weren't bloodhounds though, and considering Levi probably did some of his traveling in the air on his ODM gear, it wasn't very realistic to hope the dogs could follow his scent all the way to that facility they were keeping him in. They wouldn't even tell Eren where it was—probably because they thought he might go there and try to get Levi out himself.

"And I probably would," mused the singer with a sigh. After all, Eren was known for reckless behavior, and everyone knew he was desperate to have Levi back.

Someone recognized Eren despite the cap and fake glasses he wore, and he swore under his breath as he heard his name uttered, followed by the click of a camera taking pictures of him. He glanced up at the ruckus, and he saw to his relief that it wasn't paparazzi, but an ordinary looking young woman taking photos of him with her phone camera.

"Um, Mr. Jaeger?" she called, smiling shyly at him in a besotted manner, "It _is_ you! If...if it's not too much trouble, could I maybe have your autograph?"

His first impulse was to refuse her and suggest she attend the band's next autograph signing, but Eren didn't have the heart to turn down a fan; especially one as polite as her. He forced a smile, and he stood up. "Sure. Come on. Don't worry about my dogs. They won't bite if I'm not in any danger."

She eyed the canines for a second, and then she dug through her purse eagerly. She found a pen and a rolled up magazine, and she approached him gratefully. It was "Buzz Beat" magazine, and the front cover featured "Remember the Titans". Evidently the article inside covered their recent tour, and Eren grimaced at the text underneath the band's photo.

_"Rock giants 'Remember the Titans' cancels the last two concerts scheduled on their tour due to a case of the flu'."_

"I was sorry to hear about your tour, Mr. Jaeger," the girl said as she presented the magazine and pen to him. "I hope you're feeling better now!"

"Yeah, I've gotten over it," he fibbed. He was anything but over what ailed him, but he didn't need more rumors to be spread around about his marriage, so he refrained from saying anything about the truth of it. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Jill," she answered. "Thanks so much! This makes my whole week!"

He chuckled, and he signed a personalized autograph over his band's picture on the cover. _"Jill, keep rocking! Love, Eren Jaeger."_

* * *

He watched silently from behind a tree as his husband signed the autograph and chatted for a bit with his admiring fan. Fighting the compulsion clouding his thoughts, Levi drank in the sight of Eren Jaeger. He was supposed to capture him and bring him...somewhere. He didn't know what they wanted with Eren, but he knew it couldn't be good. His instincts told him to wait until the singer was further away from other people, to wait for the right moment to jump him. He ignored those instincts stubbornly, and he kept his distance as Eren parted ways with his fan and resumed walking, coming Levi's way without a clue that he was being watched and followed.

Levi didn't even recall going to Isabel and Farlan's apartment building and waiting for them to make an appearance. He didn't remember following them here, and he wasn't sure when he'd equipped his ODM gear. He was rather conspicuous, but he'd stayed mostly out of sight of people, using his specialized training to avoid being seen. Anytime someone did see him and questioned his attire, he always used the same excuse: it was all props for an acting gig. So far, none of the people he'd crossed paths with seemed to recognize him, but that fangirl might.

Levi counted down the seconds ticking by as Eren put more distance between himself, the fan and other park-goers. Eren's hair was getting long in the back. It was down to his shoulders now. The look was attractive on him, even though Levi generally preferred a shorter, neater hairstyle. Eren wore the look well, and Levi's fingers itched to comb through the thick, tumbled brown hair. He wanted nothing more in the world right now than to be able to reveal himself to his husband, walk up to him, embrace him and kiss him as if he'd only been away on a business trip and everything was all right.

He didn't dare take a step towards him, however. Levi couldn't be sure how long he could keep the darkness at bay. He could lose himself again at any moment, and the next time he came back, he might find himself standing over the body of his shitty brat. That, or he might witness his captors doing some awful experimentation on Eren, and that was just as bad.

_~I swore to protect you. I've never gone back on that vow, and I never will. So help me fucking God, if I have to end myself to keep you safe, I'll do it. They can't use me if I'm a corpse.~_

That dark, morose thought was out of character for Levi. He'd never been suicidal, not even when things seemed hopeless. This was more than a tough situation with an enemy, though. What else could he do, when the enemy was himself? Levi couldn't trust himself to so much as touch Eren without doing him harm, and that was both terrifying and frustrating. He'd never been so damned helpless before, and he couldn't do a thing about it. Every time he got near the people responsible for his condition, he blacked out. He struggled to put a face on the shadowy image of the man pulling his strings, but all he could be sure of was that he was male.

"What is it, girl?" Eren had stopped when Lena started to whine and wag her stubby tail. Luka barked and strained against the leash as well, trying to go to Levi.

They'd picked up his scent on the breeze, and Levi swore under his breath for his mistake. He was downwind of them. It was a foolish oversight on his part, and he should have known better. His tangled thoughts and his longing for Eren had made him reckless. Levi started to go, but then Eren spotted him. The singer's wide green eyes met his across the distance as Levi stepped out from behind the tree, and the agent found himself unable to move. Levi watched the amber color bleed into the green of Eren's beautiful eyes, full of emotion and surprise.

"Levi?" Both of the dogs were whining now, trying to drag Eren behind them. Fortunately their harnesses kept them from choking themselves.

Eren started forward, and the spell lifted. Alarmed and afraid of what he might do if his spouse got within touching distance, Levi turned and ran. He heard Eren yell his name, and he knew the little idiot was following him. Panicked, Levi forgot about the gear he was wearing. He could have taken to the air as he jumped the park fence and ran for a pair of shop buildings, but all he could think of was that he had to lose Eren quickly, and the option of using the ODM gear slipped his mind.

"Levi, wait!"

Levi glanced behind him, and he cursed. He was a fast sprinter, but Eren had longer legs than he did, and hence a bigger stride. He also did a lot of cardiovascular with Levi, and he had impressive lung capacity. Levi turned down an alley, intending to try and lose Eren there. He could scale a wall and Eren would have to either leave the dogs behind or give up his pursuit.

"Please, don't run from me," called Eren desperately. "Baby, stop! _Please_!"

Eren's begging touched something deep and painful in Levi, and he found himself skidding to a halt when the alley came to a dead end. Instead of leaping up and climbing the wall, he turned around to face his spouse. Eren was panting for breath, and the dogs were charging at his side, just as eager to catch up as he was.

"Whoa, hold on, guys," ordered Eren when he saw Levi's hands creep to his trigger mechanisms. He looked around, and he quickly tied the ends of the leashes to the handle of a trash compactor. "Stay," he said to them, keeping his gaze fixed on Levi.

They whined, but they obeyed his command. Eren approached with his hands spread in a non-threatening gesture, as if sensing how skittish Levi was right now. "It's okay," he said gently, taking one cautious step at a time. "You know me, don't you Captain? You followed me, didn't you?"

Levi swallowed, and his lips parted automatically. "Eren," he said in a low voice. It felt good to speak his name aloud again. He'd been avoiding doing that for fear that it might trigger that darkness and make him lose his shit again.

"Yeah." Eren's encouraging little smile trembled at the edges, and he steadily closed the distance. "You don't have to be afraid of me, gorgeous. Please...don't run."

Levi drew a shaken breath. "It...it's not you I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of myself."

Eren's gaze softened, and he looked like he wanted to cry. "I'm not afraid of you. You won't hurt me. God, I've missed you so much."

Levi fought the fight or flight urges coursing through him. He wanted to get away before he did something terrible, but he wanted to feel those arms around him again even more. "Eren, you should stay back. I'm dangerous. I...I don't know what I might do if you get too close."

Eren didn't back down. Two more steps, and then a third, and he was directly in front of Levi. He reached out slowly to take the agent's hands, guiding them away from the trigger mechanisms of his gear. He held them, and he gazed into Levi's eyes. That soulful stare broke Levi's resistance, and the next thing he knew, he was in his husband's arms, holding him tightly. Levi tilted his head back and he crushed his mouth against Eren's as the singer's face closed in. They kissed desperately, passionately, and for a moment, all of the fear and uncertainty faded away. It was just the two of them. Nothing else mattered to Levi right now. Eren's tongue stroked against his, and Levi knocked the taller man's baseball cap off his head, tangling his fingers into his hair.

Reality came back harshly, however. Levi felt the darkness creeping up, felt the world begin to lose its focus. _"Take him,"_ urged a voice in his head. _"Nothing can stop you now. Nobody can help him."_

"No!" Levi shoved away from Eren, his lips wet with their mingled saliva. He shook his head and backed up with a warding gesture.

"Levi, come home," begged Eren, figuring out that he was losing him again. "Please, just fight it long enough for me to get you to Farlan and Isabel! They're waiting by the car. They can keep you under control until we get you to Hange. Just trust us!"

"I can't," gasped Levi. "You shitty brat, don't you get it? We'd never make it before I snap again. I...can't."

He could knock himself out. He had the darts on his person. He could prick himself with one of them to buy time for Eren and the others to get him to headquarters. His body wouldn't obey his thoughts, however. Levi knew that if he reached for the dart guns, he'd be more likely to shoot Eren than himself. He fought the compulsion as best he could, wanting to at least say more to his spouse before he made his escape.

"I kept the note you wrote me," Levi said in a rush, desperate to get the words out. "Must have read it about twenty times before this shit started. I wish I'd had the chance to act on it and open up to you. I need you to know I was going to try, Eren. I think about it all the time when my thoughts are my own. It's what's been keeping me going...keeping me from just giving up and ending my own pathetic life to keep you and the others safe from me."

The tears Eren had been holding back welled up in response to Levi's admittance. "Don't ever give up, do you hear me? We'll find a way to get you out of this, Levi. I'm not letting you go! You have to keep fighting, damn it!"

Levi wanted to reassure him, wanted to promise he would hold on and come back to him, somehow. He could feel his consciousness slipping away though, and both of the dogs started to growl and bark. They sensed the change...sensed the killer coming back in him.

"Sorry kid," Levi gasped, and then he took off on his ODM gear, getting as far away from Eren as quickly as he could.

* * *

Eren immediately got on the phone and reported the encounter to Erwin Smith. The director relayed it to the rest of his department and sent Petra with a team to the location Levi was last spotted at, to try and pick up his trail and capture him. He didn't have high hopes that they would be successful, but Levi was apparently using his ODM gear in broad daylight. That would attract attention and it might make it easier to find him. Once he had the search team deployed, Erwin went to the lab to check on Hange and Moblit's progress.

He found Annie Leonhart in there, studying some samples. That was a source of some surprise for Erwin, but he said nothing to her. When Hange said she was going to bring in extra help, he hadn't really expected Annie to be who she had in mind. The girl used to be Hange's assistant back when she had her clinic in Trost though, and Hange vouched for her loyalty and said the young woman had no memory of her past life or the things she'd done.

Hoping it wasn't a mistake to bring Annie in on this and wondering what Hange had said to convince the girl to come all the way to Tarsus Valley, Erwin walked past her and looked around for Hange. He found her in another lab room with Moblit, measuring out a dose of some bluish-colored liquid in a tube.

"Eren ran into Levi at the dog park," announced the blond immediately when the pair of them looked up from their work. "Levi fled before Eren could call anyone to try and detain him, though."

"Damn," sighed Hange. She pulled off her gloves after sealing the vial. "Did he say anything to him, or did he just stalk him like a fanboy and take off?"

"Eren got the impression that Levi would have let himself be taken into custody, if he hadn't started slipping. He left out of fear that he would hurt or abduct Eren. Whether he initially made an appearance because he was compelled to track him down or because he just wanted to see him is anyone's guess."

"Hmm, it could be either." Hange handed over the vial to Moblit for him to store with some other medication. "At least we know he's still fighting it. He seems to resist it the most when it tries to force him to do harm to friends or loved ones."

"Agreed." Erwin nodded. "He showed no hesitation when he attacked the guards, but he still holds back when encountering Eren or me. I'm counting on that to work to our advantage. How is the serum coming along?"

"I think we're close to a breakthrough," she answered. "But I'll need a test subject to be sure."

Erwin thought on that. "I suppose we could ask Mikasa if she's willing, since she's an Ackerman and this serum is intended for someone of that bloodline."

"We could do that, but I had a different Ackerman in mind. One that's still doing time for his part in the conflict last year."

"Oh. Kenny." So much had happened so fast that Erwin hadn't even spared a moment to think about Levi's uncle. Hange made a good point, though. Kenny would be up for parole in a few months, his sentence reduced as promised by Erwin for the aid he eventually gave them. "Perhaps I can speed things along, if he'll agree to help us with this. It wouldn't hurt to try."

"Yes, and I'm sure Mikasa will help if he won't, if only for Eren's sake. I'd rather not make her my guinea pig if it can be avoided, though."

"I'll see what I can do," promised Erwin. His phone started to ring, and he got it out to see that it was Mike. He answered it, hoping for some good news. "Hello, Mike. How is the assignment going?"

"We're on our way back now," said the other blond. I got a lot of close-up shots of the enemy facility, and some of the staff, too. I recognized a few of them, chief. They've got some of the people that went dark after the BRS fiasco that we've been looking for. There's a definite connection."

"I see. We'll work on identifying them once you bring the shots in. Did you have any opposition?"

"Nah, I stayed out of sight while I scouted. Still can't say what's inside that place, but at least we have a layout of the outside and the surface now. How's everything else going?"

"Eren ran into Levi a little while ago," explained Erwin. "Evidently, he followed him to the park. He fled before we could send anyone though. I've sent Petra with a team to try and pick up his trail."

"Damn, he's slippery."

Erwin shrugged. "It's Levi. Stealth and undercover operations are his specialty. On the up-side, the database is now almost fully operational. If Levi attempts to sabotage it again, he won't be able to get in the same way he did the last time."

"He'll be in for a nasty surprise if he does," muttered Hange.

"Well, our twenty is about fifteen minutes," informed Mike. "I'll come straight to your office when we touch down."

"Thank you. I'll see you then." Erwin hung up the phone, and as he considered Levi's situation, an idea came to him.

"What did you just think of?" pressed Hange, recognizing the expression of dawning on Erwin's chiseled features.

"Hange, what would you say the odds are that Kenny may have been subjected to the same kind of tampering Levi has?"

She blinked. "You mean as a sort of prototype sleeper agent?" He could see the gears turning in her head. "Holy shit, Erwin...it's possible! Rhys was interested in Levi and Mikasa, and Kenny was working with them. Whoever came up with this process may have very well used it on him, first. He wouldn't have any memory of it if they used the same methods they did with Levi."

"I think it's time I asked him some questions we never thought to ask before," stated Erwin grimly.

* * *

When Mike arrived with Nanaba, they went straight to Erwin's office. He took the memory card out of his expensive, company assigned camera and he handed it over for Erwin to download all of the photos he'd taken. He and Nanaba pulled up a chair on either side of their boss to watch as Erwin went through the images.

"I recognize him," Erwin said as he examined a close up of someone leaving the compound. "And her. They were both with Satellite Core, and they're both still wanted by the authorities."

"That might explain how the satellite imagery's been getting hacked," deduced Nanaba. "I had a feeling they had SC agents involved in this, but now we know for sure."

"And that guy worked under Rhys," Mike said when Erwin flipped to the next image.

"Call Hange in here," ordered the director. "Moblit, too. They need to see these pictures. I'm sure there are more people they could positively identify from both factions."

Nanaba got up to do as he said, and a few minutes later, Moblit and Hange entered the office.

"What's up?" Hange asked, circling around behind Erwin's desk. "Oh, are these the photos Mike took?"

"Yes. I wanted the two of you to go through them with us, because you were both on the inside and may recognize more people than we can. If you have any names for us as we go through these, I'll make a note of it under each image file."

"Smart call," approved Hange. She took the seat Mike offered to her, and she propped her elbows on Erwin's desk as they went through each picture. Sure enough, she called out quite a few people that she remembered working with while undercover. Moblit also picked out a few from Satellite Core. When they neared the end of the collection, Hange suddenly sat up straighter in her chair and grabbed Erwin's shoulder.

"Wait! Go back to the last one!"

Frowning, he did as she asked. Hange stood up slowly and dramatically, jabbing a finger at the screen. "Oh my fucking god, Erwin...you were right! I'm sure of it! Zoom in!"

Confused about what exactly he'd been right about, Erwin blew up the image and he used a program tool to enhance it a bit. The subject of the photo was a man wearing round glasses. He was dressed in a suit, and his long blond hair was held back in a ponytail. Erwin's adrenaline shot up as he started to suspect what had Hange so excited.

"That's him! It's the monkey man!"

Everyone knew exactly who she meant, though not all of them ever got to see Zeke's human form before they perished in the past life.

"Are you sure?" pressed Erwin, hardly believing his theory could be right, after all.

"I'm absolutely positive," she confirmed. She looked around at her companions. "Don't you guys remember?"

Mike snorted. "Never got to see what the bastard looked like outside his titan form."

"Me either," stated Nanaba. "I only caught a glimpse of him once, and then I got ripped apart by the titans that overwhelmed us at the castle." She shuddered at the memory, and Mike put an arm around her.

"I saw him emerge from his titan form only briefly, during my first transformation as a titan after Levi injected me with the serum." Erwin lowered his gaze. "That was the day he perished. Zeke's face was marked up from being fused to his titan form, so I didn't get a clear view of his features. I was also not thinking clearly at the time."

Erwin's expression darkened as he stared at the image again. "However, I remember his eyes. Hange's right; this is Zeke."

"I think that me and Eren were possibly the only ones to get a good look at him before we kicked the bucket," mused Hange. "Moblit was squashed, most of the platoon was gone, and Erwin got overcome by the masses. If Zeke's behind all of this, then maybe Levi's directive is to kill Eren as well as you, Erwin. Either that, or he wants him for a more personal revenge. Eren was the one to take Zeke down in the end, after all."

"So we should assume Zeke somehow gained access to his previous life memories as well." Erwin sighed, and he combed his fingers through his immaculately styled hair, mussing it a little. "Wonderful. I was half-hoping that my stab in the dark was wrong and someone else was behind this. I would rather Rhys come back from the dead to fuck with us than deal with this creature again."

Mike glared at the image on the screen. "Speak for yourself. I'd love to give him some overdue payback."

"Same here," stated Nanaba. "With insurance for what he's done to Levi, too."

Erwin saw the concern on Mike's face as the big blond looked at his girlfriend. Mike had been against Nanaba taking Hange's memory tonic, but after overhearing them discussing their past lives one night and demanding to know what they were talking about, the woman had insisted on it.

"Don't allow personal feelings of revenge to cloud your judgment," advised Erwin sternly. "That goes for all of us. Now we know who's behind this latest threat, and our mission is to put an end to this organization's aggressions and rescue Agent Ackerman. Keep your eye on the goal, and worry about vengeance after we've succeeded."

"Got it," sighed Mike. "So when do we make our move, chief?"

"I wish I had an estimate for you," sighed Erwin. "There's still too much we don't know about this facility or what we'll be facing when we move in on it. For now, our priority is to gather as much intel as possible and try to get Levi back. I don't want him killed in friendly fire when we launch an offensive, and I don't want any of my agents to die by his hands, either."

"Maybe you should print out copies of those pictures and show them to Kenny, sir," Moblit suggested. "He might know something about it. Maybe this place has been around all this time and we just never knew about it. Kenny might have been there at some point."

"But if he was, he may not remember it." Erwin scratched his chin. "If we assume Zeke got to him at some point and used the same techniques on him to compromise his memory, then he won't be of much help to us."

"He will if I can get this Ackerman memory juice perfected," said Hange. "I just need a lab rat before I try to use it on Levi. Think you can convince him, Erwin?"

"I don't know," admitted the director, "but I'm certainly going to try."

* * *

Kenny didn't seem very surprised to see Erwin, but the director made it a point to visit him a couple of times per month. Dressed in an orange prison jumper, the lanky man leaned casually back in his chair as Erwin was escorted in to the private visiting room.

"Hello, Kenny."

"Lookie who it is," remarked Kenny with a smirk. "Thought you might have forgotten about me this month, Smith. Hell, I haven't seen my dear little nephew for two months."

Erwin had a seat on the other side of the table, and he dropped the folder in his hands on the surface. He slid it over to the other man, turning it around. "I would like you to review some pictures taken of a facility we've been investigating. Some of the escaped agents from the BRS and Satellite Core were spotted on the grounds."

"Oh yeah?" Kenny sat up straighter, and he opened the folder. "They giving you guys shit or something?"

Erwin hesitated for a moment, wondering how much he should tell the shifty gunslinger. "They've become quite the thorn in our sides, actually. They've manage to scramble satellite imagery for the entire area surrounding the location of this compound. It looks like a hydro plant on the outside, but there's much more to it than that. We have every reason to believe they intend to launch an aggressive campaign against the UFI, and what we've seen so far is only the beginning."

"Well, you've got Levi," supplied Kenny with a shrug, looking at the first photo. "You're always saying he's worth at least ten agents all by his lonesome. I wouldn't sweat it."

"Actually, we _don't_ have Levi any longer," corrected Erwin softly, "which is part of the reason I'm here at such a crucial time."

Kenny paused, looking up from the folder and staring Erwin down as if he suspected a prank. "What do you mean, 'you don't have him'. Did the runt decide to become Jaeger's little house husband and quit on you or something?"

"No. That scenario would have been much better. The people running the facility we've been investigating have done something to Levi. He's been mentally compromised. Levi went missing over a month ago for two weeks. I don't know how they did it, but these people managed to kidnap him and wipe his memory of the entire affair. At first we presumed he escaped on his own and made it home, but we now suspect he was purposely let go in order to infiltrate UFI headquarters."

"So you're tryin' to tell me my nephew's been brainwashed or something?" Kenny scoffed. "Ackermans don't get brainwashed. People have tried before."

Erwin sighed, exasperated. "Do you think I'm telling you a falsity? If Levi wasn't being manipulated by someone, then tell me why he couldn't see the needle marks in his own arms when he got examined after returning home? Tell me why he would stab me with a letter opener and then flee the scene? Explain to me why he would sneak into a high security area, overpower the two guards on duty and plant a worm virus into our mainframe computer? Above all, why do you think he would put a knife to his own husband's throat after beating the shit out of both of us in an alley? I've seen Levi disgruntled before, friend, but I've never known him to endanger the life of Eren Jaeger."

Kenny's brows shot up. "You kidding me? He really did that to his crooner?"

Erwin nodded. "Yes. I was there. I saw it with my own eyes. I'm telling you, as hard as it may be to believe, someone found a way to tap into Levi's subconscious and turn him into a double agent. I believe I'm the primary hit on his list, but Eren is clearly a target as well."

Erwin leaned forward to flip through the photos lying forgotten in the folder. He came to the one of Zeke, and he pointed at it. "We believe this man is behind it. Does he look familiar at all to you?"

Kenny looked down at the picture. "Who the hell is that? I've never seen the guy before in my life."

Erwin sat back, watching the other man thoughtfully. "So you don't even feel a hint of recognition?"

Kenny frowned. "Huh. Now that you mention it, there's something. Almost feels like Deja Vu, like I've done something like this before, or when someone just has one of those faces. Got a name for this punk?"

"Zeke," answered the blond. "Unfortunately, I have no surname to give you."

Kenny shook his head. "Sorry, it's not ringing any bells."

Erwin considered the response. It seemed Kenny had some vague recognition for the man, but perhaps if he'd ever crossed paths with him before, Zeke didn't give his original name. "What about Evret Packard?" he asked operating on a guess that the mystery agent who used that name was actually Zeke incognito. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

Kenny's brows tightened, and a muscle in his jaw jumped. Despite the change of expression, he answered: "No."

He said it so mechanically that it gave Erwin cause for deeper suspicion. It didn't sound like Kenny at all, the way he said it. The response was void of any of the man's flare or personality, and his pupils had contracted curiously.

"Are you certain of that?" pressed Erwin. "Your expression changed when I said his name, Kenny."

"How do you figure?" He sounded like himself again, as if he didn't even recall answering Erwin's question.

"Evret Packard," repeated Erwin, slowly this time.

Kenny's left eye twitched, and his hand clenched into a fist by the folder.

"You reacted again," Erwin pointed out. "You look as though you want to say something, Kenny."

Kenny's jaw tightened again, and when he spoke, it came out as a rasp. "No."

"Somehow you lack credibility," observed Erwin shrewdly. There was a chance that he was wrong, but all the signs pointed to mental tampering. Kenny obviously had no idea he'd been manipulated. Perhaps his brainwashing had been much more subtle than Levi's. Maybe the compulsions put in place for him had more to do with keeping Zeke's existence a secret, or to prevent him from telling any secrets he might have born witness to.

"Kenny, I'm going to make a deal with you," Erwin decided at last. "I'll work with my superiors and see what I can do to get you out of here as soon as possible. In exchange, I want you to allow our top researcher to test an experimental treatment on you."

"What the hell kind of experimental treatment?" asked Kenny. "I ain't a lab rat."

"But you _have_ been one," countered Erwin. "You just don't remember it. Surely you can sense something isn't right. Tell me the name I just gave you a moment ago."

"What name?" Kenny frowned.

"I'll say it again, one last time. Evret Packard. The man in this photo."

Kenny looked down at the picture, and his mouth worked. "Shit...what's his name again?"

"I'll write it down," offered the blond. He took a pen out of his breast pocket, and he wrote the name down at the bottom of the picture for Kenny. "Does reading it help at all?"

"I'm not sure," said the lanky man hesitantly. "You said something about a treatment. If my head's been fucked with, will this treatment undo it?"

Erwin could see the disconcertment in Kenny's gray eyes now. He could see the self-doubt. "That's what we hope, but we need an Ackerman to test it on. Seeing as it seems you were subjected to the same or similar mind alteration process as Levi, you are the best candidate."

Erwin leaned forward, affixing the other man with his intense gaze. "I don't know if you have any love for your nephew, but I know you've got a strong sense of self-preservation. Consider what other memories these people may have stolen from you, if they did as I suspect. Do you want to go through the rest of this life wondering, unsure of which memories are real and which are false?"

Kenny wavered. "Shit. This experimental stuff isn't gonna make me a vegetable, is it?"

"I can assure you that Hange is a master of chemistry, and this research is too valuable to her for her to risk losing our best chance at finding a cure, for lack of a better word. It's suspected that the catalyst to this brainwashing is in the form of a serum, though we don't know what additional methods were involved. Hange will have to do some medical tests and scans on you as well in case there's something she missed the last time she examined Levi. There could be a surgical implant involved, in conjunction with the serum. It could also be that the chemical compound blocked off the part of yours and Levi's minds that allow you to resist hypnotic suggestions."

"So you're saying they might have put some kind of chip in our brains?"

Erwin spread his hands. "It's possible. We know that the serum Levi has used twice against people has a property that causes short-term memory loss. The recipient loses all recollection of the first and last five minutes prior to losing consciousness and waking up. Hange believes it also cripples Ackerman resistance, as I said. It's a good theory, but we can't prove it without your help."

"Fuck, I hope I don't end up having to get my brain sliced into," muttered Kenny. "All right, do what you can. There ain't much love lost between me and the runt, but I don't want either of us going through life as some kind of puppet. Now I know how the people behind the walls must have felt when they figured out they got brainwashed."

* * *

Erwin got Kenny released three days later, after pulling every string he had available to him. Kenny came in as promised and submitted himself to testing and examinations. While they were working on that, Erwin increased building security, and he finally decided that Eren was safer living in a suite in headquarters under witness protection. The singer resisted at first, naturally.

"But he didn't attack me this last time," objected Eren at dinner the night that Erwin explained what he wanted to do.

"Thank you, Madeline," Erwin said to his girlfriend when she passed him the dinner rolls. "Eren, I know you want to believe Levi would never hurt you, but both you and I have to be on our guard. He's already attacked us before, and just because he held back the second time you encountered him, it's not a guarantee he'll be able to do the same the next time. You've seen for yourself how this influence our opposition has over him has grown over time. We have no way of knowing how tenuous his hold on his autonomy is."

"Please listen to him, honey," urged Madeline. "We all care for Levi and want this nightmare to be over with, but you shouldn't gamble with your safety."

"Nor should you," Erwin pointed out to her. "I'm going to have agents watching over your home 24/7 from now on, Madeline. I'll see to it that they don't interfere with your daily routines, but I want you to be aware of their presence. I hope it doesn't inconvenience or frighten you. I'm simply playing it cautious."

"Here we go again," she sighed. "Do you really think Levi would come after me?"

"I'm not taking chances. It may not be the same situation as before, but I'm going to assume that the enemy could have interest in Eren's friends and family. Hopefully it won't come to putting you all up in a safe house again."

"What about my dogs?" Eren worried. "The agency probably won't want them staying in there with me, right?"

"No, but I'm sure that Isabel and Farlan wouldn't mind keeping them at their place for a while, if you ask them. Otherwise, perhaps one of your band mates can take them."

"I guess," grumbled Eren. "Mikasa or Armin would probably do it. I think I'd feel safer for them if she does, actually. I'll call her up after dinner and talk to her about it."

"I'm sorry to disrupt your life even further, Eren," apologized the blond. "I know how difficult this has been on you."

Eren shrugged. He was pretty used to bad things happening to him by now, and he'd already decided not to stay on the pity pot and try to roll with the punches a little better. "What's the plan for getting Levi out of there? Have you come up with anything yet, or are you just going to put raid that place and hope for the best?"

"I have a plan to try and lure him out of hiding again, but I can't tell you more than that."

Eren heaved a sigh. "Great. You sure love to be mysterious, sir."

Erwin smiled a little. "Only when necessary."

* * *

Hange and her medical team were working day and night to find out the secret behind the enemy's mental manipulation of both Levi and Kenny. Between running tests on the latter and working on the formula to reverse the memory loss effect of the serum, her days and nights were full. It was ultimately Annie who found something they'd missed before. She was looking over the latest image scans of Kenny's skull, and she frowned upon seeing something so subtle that it was nearly invisible.

"Dr. Zoë, look at this," she said, pointing at one of the MRI images.

Hange sipped her coffee, and she came up beside the petite blonde. She squinted at the image stuck against the light backdrop. "What am I looking at?"

"Right here near the frontal lobe. I didn't spot it the last time, so it could be just a hair that got on the machine. Do you see it?"

Hange looked closer. Sure enough, there was a tiny, delicate filament of some kind, and it looked to be running through the lobe responsible for conscious thought, as well as part of the medial temporal lobe that involved episodic memory. It was as fine as a strand from a cotton ball, and it was no wonder they hadn't spotted it.

"Oh my," breathed Hange. "You may have found something very important, Annie. Hold on." Hange set her mug down, and she went to the filing cabinet containing other imaging results. She located Levi's folder and she dug out the most recent MRI for him. She put two of them up beside Kenny's, and she studied them carefully, comparing them.

There. She saw the same odd little filament on Levi's scan, situated a little deeper in than Kenny's. "Nano technology," she whispered, amazed. "Erwin and I were _both_ right. He found our antagonist, and I was right about the method! Annie, you're a genius!"

"All I did was spot it," said the blond. "I don't know anything about nano technology. So, what do we do now?"

"I would love to get him on the operating table right away and get that thing out of him to study it, but I need certain conditions to remain in place to test my serum. I need to know if it will work on Levi while he's still being influenced by the mind control. If not, we'll have to catch him first and inject him later."

"You were going to inject him first?" Annie blinked.

"With a tranquilizer delivery method," explained Hange. "I doubt anyone could get close enough to him to jab him by hand. This is a great find, though. This gives us more to work with."

Hange was practically rubbing her hands together with glee. Knowing that look, Annie said no more for fear of setting her off on one of her excited tangents.

* * *

After another two days of testing, Hange finally made another breakthrough with the serum. The last three times she'd administered it to Kenny, the results were less than promising. The first time it just made him puke for twelve hours straight. The second time, he woke up under the delusion that he was a porn star and he kept demanding to know where his dressing room was. Annie nearly decked him when he leered at her and said the last girl he fucked on screen had bigger tits. Fortunately, it wore off in a few hours and he was back to his usual smarmy self again. The third time, he was able to recall seeing Zeke in some meeting, but he couldn't give any details.

Hange built off that version of the formula, since it was the first one to bring memory restoration results. When it was ready and the previous treatment was safely out of Kenny's system, she gave him the new injection and waited with baited breath. She continued to wait...and wait. Kenny took much longer to wake up from this batch, and by the time he finally stirred, the sun was coming up and everyone was exhausted.

"Shit, how much did I drink last night?" Kenny muttered upon waking up.

"You're disoriented," Hange told him, checking his vitals. "Take a minute to gather your wits, and then tell me if you know where you are."

He looked around, and comprehension bled into his lean face. "Right. I'm at the UFI lab, right? You're trying to fix whatever they did to my brain."

"Good." Hange smiled. "Let's go over the drill first, shall we? Recite your name, age, who I am and who my associates are. If you can get all that, we'll dig a little deeper."

Kenny did as she asked, and when Moblit went through the photos of the enemy base one at a time with him, Kenny demonstrated recognition. "Yeah, I know this place," he said after checking them all out. His eyes darkened with fury when they got to the picture of Zeke. "I remember that creep too, now. I joined up with Rhys as a mercenary, but this guy paid me extra to let him test experimental drugs on me. I dunno how long they had me down for, but I woke up with a splitting headache even worse than this one. I had stitches in the back of my skull. They said I hit my head falling out of my hospital bed and they had to suture me up. Why the fuck they would leave the guard rail down for me to roll off the bed doesn't make the sense God gave a mule."

"What happened after that?" asked Moblit. "Do you remember doing anything out of character or strange, but being unable to stop yourself?"

"No, but they did run some tests after that, and I remember..." he thought on it, his gaze flicking absently from side to side as he tried to recall. "That Evret guy kept talking to me. I was sitting in a chair, and he was giving me instructions. Told me not to say anything about him or that compound. He said if anyone ever asked, I never met him and never saw that place. I boarded the Exo station after that. Anytime I tried to think about that facility or the Packard character, I'd get a sharp pain in my head and my mind would go blank. It was like blacking out or something. I finally stopped bothering with it. Wasn't worth the trouble."

"So he used you as the first prototype specimen to see if he could pull his mind-control plan off," reasoned Hange, more to herself than to Kenny. "If he's been gathering intel on Eren, then he might have put Rhys up to triggering his coordinate."

"He may have been the one who was really behind the titan projects," suggested Moblit grimly. "Now I wonder if Rhys was just a pawn. Maybe everything that happened last year was part of some plan of revenge against us all. He may have been instigating all of that just to try and wipe out his old enemies."

"And what a sick way to do it," sighed Hange. "Trying to use Eren's coordinate against his old allies, and then using Eren's husband to try and take us down and bring Eren to him when plan A failed. I'm willing to bet that Zeke wanted to make sure Eren suffered. He obviously had no loyalty to his own flesh and blood in those days. He turned his own parents in, and then he went after his half-brother to gain even more power. I never fully understood his motivation, but he's obviously just as brilliant and insane now as he ever was."

"That sounds like someone else I know," stated Moblit dryly, giving her a pointed look.

Hange chuckled. "Oh come on. I'm nothing like him. I'm a _fun_ sort of crazy."

"It depends on the day." Moblit checked Kenny's pupil response. "Should we go ahead and schedule surgery? We've given his memories back, but the implant in his head might just reset everything we just undid if we wait too long. Obviously there are two parts to this procedure and the serum is just one of them."

"We'll do surgery tonight," agreed Hange. "I want us all to get rested up first. How does that sound to you, Kenny?"

"Yeah, don't operate on my brain while you're half-asleep. I may not have much in the smarts department, but I don't need to lose what I've got."

"All right, it's settled." Excitement and hope underscored Hange's fatigue. If this was a success, then they could get Levi back. She just hoped Erwin wouldn't overdo it and put himself in more danger than he had to.

* * *

-To be continued

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recap:
> 
> Eren: "Levi, Levi, Levi...oh shit, there he is! OMG did I summon him with my thoughts?"
> 
> Levi: "Shit."
> 
> Eren: "No, don't run from me! I want to hug you and kiss you and pet you and pat you, just like the abominable snowman on that Bugs Bunny cartoon!"
> 
> Levi: "You can't hug me and kiss me and pet me and pat me. I might stab you."
> 
> Erwin: "Again? He got away again?"
> 
> Hange: "Well, you're the one that trained him to be so good, Erwin. That's our slippery little grump, for you. Hey, that's Zeke! Erwin, you were right!"
> 
> Erwin: "I was? Oh, I was."
> 
> Kenny: "What the hell do you mean, my nephew's been brainwashed? We're Ackermans! Our brains don't wash. Why do you think we've got such filthy vocabulary? We're dirty-minded thugs!"
> 
> Erwin: "None the less, your mind is cleaner than you think."
> 
> Hange: "Eureka! I've found something!"
> 
> Annie: "Don't you mean I found something?"
> 
> Hange: "Oh, potato-potahto. What matters is we know a little more about how this was done to Levi. Now we've just got to catch the runt, jab him with a needle and bring him in to get brain surgery. Neat, huh?"
> 
> Moblit: "You'd better fully test it on Kenny first. I'd rather accidentally lobotomize him than Levi."
> 
> Hange: "Hmm, good point."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the support this story has gotten!

Kenny's operation was a success. Hange found the entry site where they'd inserted the filament device, based on where Levi's stitches had been located when she'd examined him. They only had to shave a small patch of hair and make a small incision. By carefully drilling a small hole, she was able to locate the tip of the device with the use of special surgical tools for less invasive surgeries. She used a micro camera to see what she was doing, and with a bit of patience and effort, she pulled the surprisingly long strand out of Kenny's brain. It almost looked like fishing chord, but she knew there had to be a complex structure of microscopic gadgetry inside.

They got it under the microscope right away once they wheeled Kenny back to recovery and confirmed that his vitals and brain activity were steady. The next day, she reported her findings to Erwin and the other high-ranking agents, using a presentation slideshow with pictures to explain everything.

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Hange admitted as she flipped through the images to show magnified pictures of the nano filament. "The structure of this thing is basically made up of teeny, tiny data chips that send out pulses. I tested this with low-grade exposure to an electrical field. As far as we can tell so far, this thing is powered by the subject's own brain waves. My theory is that it reacts to certain thought patterns, and it alters them by transmitting a signal directly into the lobes that operate memory and free will. It literally hits a 'reset' button when the subject tries to recall memories it's been programmed to block. It also gives the brain direct orders based on what purpose it was designed for. In Kenny's case, it seems the primary function was to keep him from remembering what happened to him and any information about who was behind it. In Levi's case, I'm betting it's more complicated."

"His MRI showed a longer filament, inserted deeper than Kenny's was," Moblit added. "We're working on finding a way to collect data from this thing, but honestly, the best way to find out what directives Agent Ackerman was given would be to free him from the compulsion and ask him ourselves."

"And the sooner we can do that, the better." Hange turned off the presentation.

"Then let's not delay any further," said Erwin. "After Kenny recovers enough to be of use, we'll commence with this mission. I'll choose a night to work late, alone. The baiting plan will begin officially when regular office hours end. I want everyone on point and alert. It may take more than one try to lure him in, as we don't know when he plans to make another try at me. Eren Jaeger is to be removed from the building, issued his 3DM gear and kept under guard at all times. Be ready to move as soon as Levi makes an appearance or anything comes amiss. This could be our last, best chance at bringing him in. If we fail, then we may have no other choice but to commence with the counterstrike on that base, regardless of whether Levi gets caught up in it or not."

"Do I have permission to inform Eren about what's going on now?" Hange asked.

Erwin nodded. "Permission granted. Contact Mikasa as well. She will be issued her gear also, should she agree to participate." More softly, he added: "I hope I'm not making a huge mistake."

"Giving civilians restricted use weapons and getting them involved in government agency matters?" Nanaba said dryly. "It's nothing we haven't done before."

* * *

Hidden in the roof access stairwell of a building across the street from the UFI headquarters, they waited. Tonight was it. This could be the night he finally got his Levi back. Eren still couldn't believe Erwin's balls, allowing him to be in on the capture attempt. The director believed that Eren could bring them a vital edge if things got out of control, though. Erwin was riding all his hopes on the bond the singer had with their rogue agent, and if Levi started getting the upper hand or came close to escape, it would be up to Eren to distract him for the other teams.

The participants were stationed at strategic points around headquarters, each team of three led by one person. Eren's team consisted of himself, Mikasa and Mike. Hange led the team to the south with Moblit and Petra in her ranks. Farlan and Isabel were with another agent whose name Eren couldn't remember on the building to the west, and another team of three waited to the north. Each of them had been trained to be proficient with the maneuver gear, though Eren and Mikasa were the only civilians amongst them. Nanaba waited in her chopper on the roof of HQ, laying low until given the signal, if and when her air support was needed.

The rest of the people still residing in HQ weren't in on it, save for Erwin and Kenny. Kenny hadn't left the building since he was brought there, so hopefully, Levi didn't know his uncle was even there yet. To the surprise of no-one, Kenny was still skilled enough with ODM gear to use it, at least for mobility, if not the pairing blades. He got issued a set as well, and Eren had no idea where the hell he was stationed at within headquarters.

Why Erwin hadn't included Sasha, Armin and the band in this plan was uncertain to Eren, but maybe he thought that would be too many teams to keep up with. Even though this was Levi they were trying to catch, fourteen against one should theoretically be plenty. The man had probably only brought Mikasa in to even out the numbers and ensure Eren had someone with skills comparable to Levi's watching his back. In fact, the more he thought if it, the more sense it made. Mikasa would die herself before she let anything happen to him, and Erwin knew that.

Speaking of Mikasa, she was watching him with mild concern as he started fiddling restlessly. "How are you doing, Eren?"

"I'm okay," he answered, peering through the narrow window in the exit doorway. "Just nervous. I don't want to think about what could happen if we screw this up."

"Then don't screw up," advised Mike flatly.

Eren winced. "But what if he never shows up? Are we just going to keep trying this, or is tonight the last effort to catch him before you move in on that base?"

"If he doesn't show up, nothing happens," informed Mike in a low voice, "and we'll try again a couple more times. If Levi shows up and we don't get him, there's going to be attention drawn to us that we don't want, and Erwin won't have results to show for it."

Mike looked at Eren levelly. "This could cost him his job. Might even land him in jail for going ahead with a mission he never got official approval for. He's taking a big chance, kid. Remember that, next time you raise your hackles at him."

His words made Eren feel bad for some of the shit he'd given him. Of course Erwin was a risk-taker. It didn't dawn on Eren how severe the consequences could be for him. Even if they succeeded and captured Levi, Smith was bound to face interrogation and penalties from his superiors for going over their heads. He'd done things like this in the past when positive results were the only thing that might save his ass for going through with a plan. He'd nearly gotten hung for treason once over a risky plan of action.

_~And here he is again, putting everything on the line because the risk is worth the reward to him. I really need to be nicer to this guy from now on.~_

But with those thoughts came another one that frankly terrified Eren. If this plan didn't work and Erwin got eliminated and jailed, there would be nobody with his strategic skills to run the strike operation. Hange came in as a close second, but Erwin had a way of stacking the odds in his favor that Eren had never seen matched. If they lost the commander, then he might lose the captain forever. The higher-ups might decide it wasn't worth the trouble of trying to bring such a dangerous agent in alive. They might order him killed on sight if seen again. They might not decide to send in ground teams to the base at all, but to hit it hard and heavy with explosives launched from the air and just go in and clean up after the place was reduced to rubble.

"I see something," announced Mikasa. She was looking through the binoculars she'd been given, and they had night vision capabilities. "There, on the roof. There's a group of people coming out from one of the helicopters near Nanaba's."

Eren used his own binoculars to have a look for himself, thinking at first that they were probably just UFI agents that had come back from a mission. That couldn't be right though, because none of those choppers had recently landed. The teams had been set up for nearly two hours now, and Eren hadn't seen any aircraft come in. Unless those people had been sleeping in that transport chopper for all this time, there was no reason for them to be making an appearance now.

"Shit, that chopper's not ours," Mike muttered upon looking, himself. "And those guys are moving stealthy. They're not UFI agents."

"How can you be sure that's not one of your helicopters?" asked Eren. "Wouldn't someone have noticed that before now?"

"If we'd been looking for an imposter bird, maybe." Mike adjusted the focus on his binoculars. "It's an almost perfect match, but I just noticed the landing gear isn't agency standard. It's a Trojan maneuver. They fixed up a chopper to look like one of ours and transported those guys to the rooftop sometime today."

Mike didn't bother explaining further. He adjusted his communication headset and he switched the channel on it. "Nanaba, you copy?"

"I copy," came her soft reply.

"You see them?"

"Yes. The bastards were right by me and I didn't even know it. Looks like they're heading to the air duct system. No sign of Levi yet. Maybe our friends sent these guys this time because he didn't complete his assignment the last two times he went after Erwin."

"Yeah, they may have gotten tired of waiting," agreed Mike. "Probably sent this team to finish what Levi couldn't."

"Makes you wonder how closely they've been watching us," Nanaba all but whispered.

"Just stay put. Don't show yourself or try to engage."

"Roger. You should notify Erwin that he's about to be getting a lot more company than we expected. It might be best to clear out all the night staff for their own safety."

Mike swore under his breath. "This is all we need. I'll switch to the team channel and let everyone know to be ready."

"Okay...wait! I see Levi," Nanaba informed. "He just touched down with his gear from somewhere to the south. He might have even gone right past one of our teams."

Eren pressed his binoculars against the window in a desperate attempt to spot his husband. Now that it was called to his attention, he could see the thin gas trail from Levi's gear. His heart skipped a beat as the captain joined the team of suspected infiltrators, taking up the lead. Since he knew the building so well, it was likely he was serving as their guide to reach Erwin without opposition.

"Here we go," whispered Eren, his eyes flashing. He was going to get his husband back tonight, no matter who stood in his way. He had no problem cutting them down if any of those kidnapping bastards tried to stop him.

* * *

"Erwin, head's up. Party of thirteen entering the duct system, including our rogue agent."

Erwin glanced up at the ceiling, holding his cell phone to his ear. He'd opted out of using a head set because doing so would make Levi suspicious. "I see. That's more guests than I prepared snacks for, but I think we can adjust accordingly. Do the caterers know yet?"

"Yeah, word's been put out. We need you to tell us if you want to evacuate the building."

Erwin considered that. Setting off a fire alarm would do the trick, but that might also alert their "guests" and cause them to retreat before the trap was sprung. If they were coming in through the air ducts, there was a chance they could be contained and neutralized before any real violence occurred. He smirked at the thought.

"No, there's no need for that. If we cancel the band then people might leave too early, and we won't have the chance to host an event like this again. Stick with the party plan and be prepared to start setup earlier than originally agreed on."

"You're the boss. I'll relay that. Might want to get Kenny in there with you just in case."

Erwin started to refuse, figuring that if Levi managed to get to this floor and section of the building and spotted his uncle through one of the vents, he'd know something was up. However, by the time he'd see him, he'd also be too far into his mission to back out without trying to complete it. "All right. I'll take your advice."

Erwin hung up with Mike, and he called Kenny's number. He didn't speak the man's name when he picked up. His subtlety was key to the success in this endeavor. They'd found a bug in his office this morning, likely put there by a mole posing as a janitor. Erwin had chosen not to remove it, because he didn't want his quarry to know he was aware of it, and he thought he could use it to his advantage.

"Come up to my office now, would you? I need to talk to you about the party you're bartending for. There's been a change on the guest list and it's easier for us to discuss necessary adjustments to our plans face to face."

"Oh yeah?" Kenny said. "What kind of change are we talking about?"

"Just a greater number of people than we planned for. The guest of honor is still due to attend as expected, so far."

"So they're already in the building? What kind of number are we looking at, here?"

Erwin thought about how to answer that without breaking code. "An extra twelve pack of wine should do nicely. We have enough time to order it before the event is scheduled to start."

"Shit. Okay, I'll be right up. Hey, I'm hearing some noise coming from the ceiling. Might want to get a pest control guy in here tomorrow."

Erwin smirked again. There was going to be a lot more noise coming through the ceiling in a little while. He just needed to be patient and wait.

* * *

Within the air ducts, Levi listened to the feed coming from his ex-boss's office, and his face crinkled a little with confusion. What the fuck was Erwin talking about? Party guests? Wine? Music? What did the man have to celebrate? Were they all _that_ happy to have Levi gone?

It was a ridiculous notion. Levi couldn't imagine his associates throwing a party over his absence. Maybe one of the big wigs had a birthday coming up, and Erwin was obligated to host a party for them. That made a hell of a lot more sense than Levi's first impression. He felt like Erwin was up to something, but the confusing pull of his compulsion warring with his consciousness made it hard for him to concentrate on anything save the mission.

If Levi had anything to say about it, this mission wouldn't end the way his handlers expected. He planned to wrestle back his self control long enough to force Erwin to shoot him, thus ending the threat he posed to his organization and loved ones.

_~That's assuming the big idiot can aim straight and not blow a hole in his other foot.~_

He almost managed a smirk at that thought. Levi knew that Erwin's gun accident that day had been partly due to his shock over the attack, and partly due to his concern. He'd seen it in the blond's eyes that day when they ran into each other at the alleged nurse's house. There was still love there, and while Levi would have kicked his ass if the commander ever tried to act on it, Erwin had proven that there was no cause for concern.

He just wished he could tell the man how much he appreciated it. All of his concentration, however, would have to go towards sabotaging his objective enough to give Erwin the opening he'd need. The question was, would he be able to do it? Did Erwin love him enough to pull the trigger and free him from this hell? Levi had already tried twice to do it himself, since his last encounter with Eren. He couldn't do it—not because he lacked conviction or feared death, but because his fucking compulsion wouldn't let him. The pain that went through his head when he'd tried it was so blinding that it rendered him unconscious.

If he couldn't fight this mind control for long enough to surrender, he would have to put his faith in Erwin's ability to do him this last service, before he was completely lost to himself and no more than a mindless puppet.

_~I'm sorry, Erwin. It's not fair for me to lay this on you and expect you to end me. I know it's selfish, but there's not gonna be enough of me left to save, for much longer. Eren, this wasn't what I promised you when I married you. I wish I could—~_

Levi's thoughts were rudely interrupted when he climbed down the next vent junction to Erwin's floor and started forward in a low crouch. It was almost like a guillotine slamming down all of the sudden, blocking his way. He turned to warn his group back, and another trap wall slammed down, separating the group. He heard surprised exclamations as more of the barriers dropped down at each segment of the vent system.

They'd walked into a trap, and Levi could guess who was behind the engineering of it.

"Fuck!"

* * *

"The rats are in the trap," Erwin announced to Kenny when he heard the swearing and commotion from somewhere above and down the hallway. He picked up his phone and dialed Mike. "The baiting worked. Send all teams in to clean up."

"Roger," answered the other blond.

Erwin hung up the phone, and he sighed. "I hope none of Levi's limbs got severed when they set off that trap system."

Kenny cocked his head and listened to the noise in the ducts. "Kid's sure cussing a lot, so maybe. It's Levi though. He'd cuss the same over a stubbed toe."

Erwin decided there was no longer a need to keep radio silence. He got out his headset from his desk drawer, turned it on and adjusted it. He was just about to request a status update and urge his teams to hurry when one of his office windows shattered inwardly. He blurted an oath nearly as foul as the ones spewing from Levi in the air conditioning ducts, reaching impulsively for his tranquilizer gun. He heaved an exasperated sigh to see that Eren Jaeger was responsible for the dramatic entrance. Mikasa landed lightly beside him, and the singer looked a little startled.

"Oops," exclaimed Eren.

"Was it really necessary to break my window, Jaeger?"

"Sorry," answered the younger man, brushing bits of broken glass off his uniform. "I thought you were under attack and could use someone in here right away."

Mike came in on a downswing, following their break in. "Want to explain just what the hell that was?"

"Whoo, nice entrance," applauded Kenny. "You must have hit it pretty fucking hard, kid. I thought the windows here were quake resistant."

Eren looked at his pairing blades. "I came in with these leading the way. If they can cut into a titan, I figured they'd be good window smashers. Where is Levi, Commander? Did you get him?"

Erwin didn't get the chance to answer. Just as the ventilation system slammed shut completely to contain it, the sleeping gas triggered and started filling the trapped compartments. No sooner did the hiss of gas go off than a pairing blade stabbed downward from where Levi must be, piercing the duct he was in, along with the ceiling. With a few quick, sawing motions, Levi was breaking through the ceiling. He landed lightly as a cat in the corridor just a few feet outside Erwin's door.

"The target's loose," warned Erwin quickly into his mouth piece. "All units prioritize the capture of our primary—"

Levi was hurtling toward him then, having fired his anchors into the wall behind Erwin's head. He had launched himself as soon as the wires were secure, and Erwin barely rolled aside in time to avoid getting body-slammed.

Everything was chaos, after that. Several of the enemy agents that had come with Levi freed themselves through the nearest air vent. Hange's team made it to the floor via the fire escape, and they became immediately embattled with the invaders. Mike blocked Levi's next attack against Erwin, and he got high-kicked in the head and went crashing into the desk. Erwin saw the killing glint in Levi's eyes as the rogue agent went for him again, and he took aim immediately with his gun. He saw a twitch in Levi's expression, a brief hint of an inward struggle. It was gone almost immediately, and Erwin's forearm went numb as Levi's boot connected with it, quicker than his eye could even follow.

The gun went clattering to the floor, and Erwin dove for it desperately as Levi came at him with his blades leading the way. Mikasa intercepted him, and sparks flew as their blades clashed. Levi didn't even seem to notice anyone else; he head-butted Mikasa without blinking an eye, and he went for Erwin again. A shot rang out, then another, and Levi's strike was foiled as two of Kenny's bullets struck the folded metal and ruined his aim.

"Snap out of it, short stuff," hollered Kenny. "This ain't no way for an Ackerman to act! You're embarrassing me."

Levi spared his uncle a scowl, and then he saw Eren standing by the shattered window, frozen in place with a devastated expression on his tanned features. Just as Erwin had hoped, the sight of his husband seemed to shock some sense back into him. This was his chance.

* * *

Eren tried to move as Levi took a step towards him, his blades still clutched in his hands. He couldn't. The dead look returned to the captain's eyes, and Eren knew he was going to have to raise his weapons against his beloved.

"Captain...please..."

The strangled plea hung in the air amidst the sounds of combat out in the hallway. Recognition came back to those hooded gray eyes, and Eren braced himself as Levi started toward him with a resigned, determined look on his pale face. He expected an attack, or to be tackled out the window behind him. Instead, Levi charged past him, fired his grapplers into the building across the street, and fled airborne.

"Shit, he's getting away," Eren shouted, reaching out in vane for his now out of reach spouse.

"Isabel and I are in pursuit," came Farlan's voice over the communication frequency.

"I'm starting up the chopper," announced Nanaba. "Anyone that can make it to the roof in time can ride with me."

"On my way," grunted Hange after clubbing an enemy agent unconscious with a punch to the temple. "Moblit, Petra, stay here and help contain these others! Erwin, you probably don't have time to put your gear on."

"I'll give him a lift to the roof," offered Mike. "Climb on, boss. We'll piggyback."

Erwin holstered his gun and took the bigger man's offer, apparently unconcerned with how ridiculous it must look. Kenny dove out the window to follow after his nephew without another word, and Hange jumped out and went up with Mike and Erwin.

Still reeling from the situation, Eren didn't immediately follow. "I couldn't move," he said to his friend as Mikasa joined his side.

"Don't worry about it," she advised. "Come on, Eren. This is our chance to get him back. We can't let him get away."

He shook himself out of it. She was right. He couldn't give up now. They were so close. New determination welled up within him, and he snarled. "I want him back," growled Eren, and he ran for the window, reading his gear. "Give him _back_ to me!"

He didn't see Mikasa's sympathetic look as she followed close behind him, nor did he consciously realize that he'd just practically echoed her exact words and sentiments from the previous life, when Annie captured him and Mikasa refused to let him go.

* * *

They followed Levi as closely as they could, and Nanaba got ahead of him with her passengers. She kept going according to where his trajectory was taking him, guessing he was trying to make it back to his base. "Hange, I'll set you down here," she called over her shoulder to the scientist. "That radio tower should make the perfect sniper spot for you."

"Don't worry about landing," advised Hange, yanking open the cargo door. "I'll just jump and get set up before he gets here. You guys focus on distracting him and trying to herd him my way, all right?"

"Got it." Nanaba addressed Erwin next as Hange leaped out of the chopper. "You might want to catch a ride down with Mike, sir. An emergency chute might take you too long to reach the ground, if you're still planning on trying to lure the captain."

Erwin had been prepared to simply jump out recklessly, forgetting that he had no ODM gear on. Mike caught on and grabbed him by the back of his blazer before he could go through with it.

"Don't lemming-dive on us, chief," hollered Mike.

"Ah, right." Erwin climbed on his friend's back, and the two of them took off toward the ground together with Mike using Hange's chosen sniper point as an anchor. They touched down a bit roughly on a highway overhang just before the bridge crossing the bay.

"Here will do," said Erwin, looking around. "Get back in the air, Mike. I'll make sure Levi sees me. Just don't let him veer off his trajectory until he's spotted me."

"Leaves you pretty open," grunted Mike.

"From here, Hange will have a clear shot at Levi as he closes in. Unless she misses, she'll take him down before he reaches me."

Mike looked up at the tower, where Hange had found her spot and was preparing the sniper-style tranquilizer rifle she'd been carrying on her back. "Hope she's got good aim. Good luck, Erwin."

* * *

Hange was thinking similar thoughts to Mike as she brought the scope to her eye and searched the horizon for Levi. At least it was a clear night, and the moon was nearly full. The highway lights also offered some illumination, and if Levi came in low as he should to get at Erwin, those lights would shine on him enough to make him a clearer target. Hange saw a pair of red laser lights flashing in the dark from where Levi and the others were coming from, and she guessed it must be coming from Kenny's precision guns. Nanaba had circled around, and she made an announcement over communications.

"I see him. My copilot is going to shine the spotlight on him. Everyone in position?"

"Ready here," answered Hange.

"I'm in position," said Erwin. "Are Eren and Mikasa still keeping up?"

"Yes, I can see them flanking Isabel and Farlan," confirmed Nanaba.

"Tell them not to get too close," ordered Erwin. "I don't want Levi's focus on him instead of me. Did you copy that, Eren?"

"Yes sir," came the winded reply, "but if the shot misses—"

"I'm not going to miss," Hange assured. "And I've got two rounds loaded in this thing, so one of them is bound to hit as long as I have a clear opening."

"Just don't shoot him with both," cautioned Moblit over the frequency, evidently having been listening from Headquarters. "You'll overdose him."

"I wasn't going to unload both of them on him. I'm trying to save him, not kill him. That being said, Erwin, you probably shouldn't fire your tranquilizers at him unless I miss with both rounds. The combo of both would stop his heart."

"Thank you for waiting until now to bring that to my attention," sighed Erwin. "Very well; I won't pull the trigger unless I have no other choice."

Hange grimaced. _~Meaning you'll wait until our little ceiling cat cuts you down before reaching for your gun. Don't get yourself killed trying to save him, Erwin. We all want him back, but we also need your leadership. I'm not taking over your job a second time!~_

Her hasty ascension to High Commander had been a very short affair, but that was the sort of leadership pressure she could do without repeating again.

"He's coming within range of you both," Nanaba warned. "Be ready!"

"Always," whispered Hange.

She could see Levi now, illuminated by the spotlight shining on him from Nanaba's aircraft. Hange tensed, and then she made herself relax and take deep breaths. So far, Levi wasn't pulling one of his chopper-slaying maneuvers. Likely because he could see Erwin, who was standing directly under one of the street lights on the bridge. Hange could tell Levi was honing in on him by the way his flight pattern leveled off and his body was poised. He was like a hawk diving down on his prey, sleek and deadly.

"Make it count, Hange," muttered the scientist, a bead of sweat forming on her nose.

* * *

_~Closer. That's it.~_

Erwin kept his gun lowered, though his instincts were screaming at him to fire. He waited, presenting a perfect target to his friend. He was staring death right in the face, and Erwin thought there were worst ways to go out than for Levi to be the last sight he saw. The small man looked beautiful and cold as marble...inhuman. Maybe it was just Erwin's fevered imagination in these crucial, tense moments, but to him, Levi had the look of an avenging angel.

"Do it now, Hange," muttered the director under his breath. His knuckles whitened on the handle of his gun. "Now!"

Erwin heard the first shot go off, and he groaned when it ripped through Levi's fluttering green cloak, missing his flesh. He had only seconds left before those flashing blades would whirl and carve him to ribbons.

* * *

"Ohfuckohfuckohfuckshitdamnfuck!"

Hange's stream of babbling cussing sounded more frantic than her physical reactions to missing the first shot. She took aim again, zoomed the scope in a little more and whispered a prayer under her breath.

"Sorry Levi, but you'll thank me for this later."

She squeezed the trigger. The injection dart cut through the air, and Hange's eyes went huge behind the lenses of her glasses when she saw the neon blue plume stick to Levi's left side, quivering between his ribs. She pumped a fist and yelled with exuberance, nearly unseating herself from her perch.

" _YES!_ She shoots, and she scores! Hot damn, I...oh shit...oh no!"

There was one problem with Erwin's choice of placement. It was right over the water, and as the serum pumped through Levi's bloodstream and rendered him unconscious, he tumbled out of control through the air. He flew right over Erwin's head, and he landed in the dark, choppy water of the bay. His anchors were still attached to the light post he'd last fired them into, but as the current started dragging him away, one of the wires snapped under the pressure. The other grappler pulled free.

"Shit, he's in the water!" Eren's scream cut through the air, and he gave an extra burst of gas to try and get to where Levi had gone under.

Hange also launched herself toward the water. Erwin dove off the side of the bridge after him immediately, and it appeared that he had the best chance of retrieving Levi due to his proximity. None of them beat Kenny Ackerman to it, though. He released his wires from their anchoring point as he soared above the spot, and he dove straight down into the bay.

Mike arrived at the bridge at the same time as Hange, and he hastily got out his flashlight and shone it below where the others had dove in. Isabel and Farlan both hit the water right after Eren with a splash, and Mikasa came after them. Nanaba's chopper circled back around, and the spotlight shone on the water below.

"Do you see them?" Hange asked Mike, fighting tears. That water was so dark. They'd be lucky to find Levi down there. She'd drowned her best friend trying to save him, and all because of one little oversight.

"Can't see shit," Mike grunted. He swore, and he took his cloak off prudently before jumping in to help with the search.

Hange started to do the same, but then she heard a rough voice calling out from the opposite bank. It was Kenny, and he was dragging a small, limp form onto the bank with him.

"Found him! He ain't breathing, though!"

Hange wasted no time. She hastened to Kenny's location, and she spoke to Nanaba through her headset. "We're going to need a medical kit down here, prompto!"

Nanaba piloted the helicopter to Kenny and Levi's location, while the others swam towards the bank to help. Eren paddled so fast that he looked like a little human-shaped motorboat, and Hange would have thought he was using his gas canisters to get there faster if she didn't know they wouldn't work under water.

"Move aside!" barked Hange when she made it to Kenny and Levi and the others started crowding around. "Give me room. Get his harness unbuckled so it's not restricting his chest!"

Kenny deftly worked to do as she ordered, and Hange immediately got Levi positioned to do mouth-to-mouth on him. "Eren, you do the breathing," she instructed. "I'll take care of the chest pumping. Ready? Tilt his head back, plug his nose and breath into his mouth."

Eren obeyed without question, and Hange pressed rhythmically down on the captain's chest.

"Shit, check his airway to make sure nothing's blocking it," Hange said when Levi didn't respond.

Eren checked with trembling hands, his wet hair whipping in the wind caused by Nanaba's chopper rotors as she descended to a landing nearby. Eren shook his head. "I don't see anything."

"Breathe," instructed Hange.

Eren did so again, and Hange counted down as she pumped several more times. She nodded at Eren, and just as he was about to breathe into Levi's mouth again, water gurgled up from the agent's throat. Levi coughed, and Hange quickly turned him onto his side so that his lungs could expel all of the fluid.

"Okay," gasped Hange, light-headed with relief. "Okay, he's breathing. Let's get him onto the helicopter and get him to the clinic for medical care. We need to get him warmed up."

Eren wouldn't let anyone assist him with his husband, save to help take Levi's gear off. The singer gathered his spouse into his arms, and he held him close as he carried him over to the chopper. Erwin opened the door for him to let him board first, and he turned to the others as they approached.

"There isn't enough room for all of us in this helicopter. Does anyone's gear still work, or is it all waterlogged?"

Hange wiped her eyes. "Mine does, but I have to ride in the chopper and watch over Levi. I can trade gas canisters with someone."

"Nah, we can take a cab," Kenny said with a shrug. "My phone case is water proof, so I can call for one."

"How exactly are we going to explain our condition to the driver?" questioned Farlan. "We're soaking wet and dressed like...well, the way we're dressed."

"I would suggest unloading your gear into the helicopter before calling for a cab," said Erwin, "but we really should get Levi to Headquarters with all haste."

"I can call Jean," offered Mikasa. "He can come and pick us up in his Jeep. I just hope you all don't mind the arguing you'll probably have to listen to when he finds out about this."

Kenny peeked in on Levi, and he addressed Hange. "Kid's gonna be okay, right? Think he's going to get brain damage for almost drowning?"

"I don't think he was deprived of oxygen long enough for that, thanks to your quick actions. Why don't you ride back with us, Kenny? There's enough room for your skinny ass in here."

Kenny almost looked like he was going to turn the offer down, but his eyes settled on Levi's unconscious form again, and he nodded. "Sure."

* * *

It was like reliving a moment from last year, only their situations were reversed. When Eren's use of his coordinate on the exo station caused him to go into a coma, Levi reportedly hardly left his side. Now it was Eren's turn to wait for some sign of life from his love. Once Hange deemed it safe enough, they operated on Levi and removed the nano device from his brain. Now it was just a waiting game for him to regain consciousness. Two days had already come and gone since the surgery, and while Hange assured Eren that Levi's brain activity seemed healthy, he hadn't yet shown any sign of waking.

The UFI had captured all twelve of the men that had come with Levi hoping to take Erwin Smith out. They were moved to a military holding facility to be questioned and await trial for their actions. Erwin himself had to face his peers under trial-like conditions and explain himself. However, as he'd wagered on, the successful retrieval of Levi Ackerman, the discovery of the enemy base location and the victory and capture of the infiltrators were all marks in his favor. He got temporarily suspended from duty as active director, and Mike was assigned to take his place until it was lifted. In addition, Moblit found out the identity of the plant that had bugged Erwin's office, and the agent posing as a janitor got jailed with the other captured enemy forces.

The worst of it seemed to be over, for now. It was really only a breather, though. They still had a dangerous enemy out there with a personal grudge against them, and there was a hold placed on further plans to strike against the hostile facilities. The higher-ups wanted more information about the place, and Levi was their best source of that information...provided he woke up with his memories restored.

Until then, he was kept on careful watch at the HQ medical facilities. Even though he hadn't regained consciousness yet, the higher-ups ordered that he be restrained to his hospital bed at all times while under observation. When he woke up, he was to be moved to detainment and kept under strict guard, psychological evaluation and tight restriction.

Eren gazed down at his husband, seated by his hospital bed. He stroked Levi's hair slowly, and he sighed. His gaze went to the restraints, and his mouth curved into a disgusted grimace. He supposed he understood the precautionary measures given recent events, but it really bothered him to see his captain tethered up like a rabid animal.

Mikasa came to sit with him, and she brought a coffee back with her after showing her visitor badge to the guards outside. She took the chair beside Eren's, and she handed his drink to him. "No changes yet?"

Eren shook his head. "Not yet. Mom came this morning to see him. She shaved his face. I think that's the first time I've ever seen him with stubble."

"Well, that was kind of her. How are you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess. I had a nap before you got here. I keep thinking I'll miss something if I leave or fall asleep, like maybe he'll wake up for a second and I won't be here to see it."

Mikasa nodded in understanding. "He felt the same way about you when you were in the hospital last year. But Eren, you have to take care of yourself, too. He's alive and he's safe. I know the captain will wake up when he's ready to."

"But when he does, what is his life going to be like?" Eren took a sip of his coffee, staring down at that sleeping, still face. "I don't know how long they're planning to keep him locked up. He's already been through so much, and I just want to take him home and make him feel safe again. You didn't see him struggling like I did, Mika. I've never seen Levi so unsure of himself and confused."

Mikasa squeezed Eren's knee. "Hopefully, that confusion is going to be a thing of the past, now. If Hange's treatment works, he should wake up himself again. She said he might not get all of his memories back at once because of the severity of their meddling, but she thinks it won't take long for him to recall everything. Once he does and he cooperates with the UFI to bring down these enemies, I'm sure he'll be released to go home."

"But he may be kept under watch for the rest of his life," sighed Eren. "He knows too many classified UFI things for them to just call it a day and trust him not to leak anything."

"Maybe they'll monitor him for a while," she reasoned, "but I doubt Erwin will let that go on indefinitely. It could take a year or so for things to go back to normal for you two, but even if he has to quit the agency, he's got other skill sets. Maybe he could even work with the band."

Eren frowned. "Doing what? I love the man, but Levi doesn't have any musical talents."

"No, but he's good at protecting you." Mikasa smiled gently. "You can't tell me he wouldn't make a great security guard."

Eren snorted. "Right. From being a top secret agent to being a rent-a-cop. That'll thrill him."

"You should just focus on helping him get well again," suggested Mikasa. "The rest will come in time."

Eren couldn't dispute her logic. There wasn't any point in worrying about what was going to happen to Levi's career and lifestyle right now, not when Levi hadn't even woken up yet. He stroked the agent's hair again, and then he traced Levi's pert little nose with a fingertip. "I just wish there were another way for them to feel secure about him that didn't involve binding him hand and foot to the bed. Who knows what he's going to remember going through when he wakes up? This might make it even harder for him to cope."

"I know. Maybe once he comes too and proves he's lucid and himself again, they'll loosen the restrictions. They're only playing it safe in case there was more to his brainwashing than they know about."

Eren heaved a sigh, and he bowed his head. "Yeah. Thanks for coming, Mikasa."

She gave his shoulder a squeeze. "We're all here for you if you need anything, Eren."

* * *

He didn't know where he was or how long he'd been unconscious. Levi fought his way out of the hazed slumber, slowly coming back to awareness. He frowned, his eyes still shut. He couldn't move his limbs. Or rather, he could _move_ them, but they were tightly restrained. Wrists, elbows, knees, ankles...it felt like there was even a restraint across his chest pinning him down to the cushioned surface he was on. He was afraid to open his eyes and look around. One thought lay predominant in his mind: his captors had him again, and they were about to do more shit to him, steal away what was left of himself and make him into something no better than a mindless titan.

Fighting down panic, the agent tried to think rationally. His thoughts were clearer than they'd been in a while, aside from the disorientation. He felt no fog of darkness pushing at the edge of his conscience, trying to take over his mind and force his actions. He could even remember some things that had eluded him since waking up in that nurse's house.

_~That's right; she was no nurse. At least not the kind she made herself out to be. She was in on what they did to me...one of the assistants in the lab. They moved me to that place when they were done with me. I was told to forget about anything I might remember of what happened and just go home right away...keep working like normal until I got my directive.~_

Levi tried to remember exactly who told him these instructions, but that part was still unclear. He needed to know where he was and what his situation was. He couldn't let them know that he was fully autonomous again, however long that would last. If he could hold on to his consciousness and keep thinking clearly, he might be able to escape and get to the UFI before he lost it again.

Warily, he opened his eyes. He was in a hospital room, by the looks of it. The lights were blessedly dimmed, so he was able to focus his vision without too much discomfort. Levi didn't recognize the ceiling, at first. He'd expected to see flat concrete over his head, but he saw a grid pattern instead. As he shifted his gaze to take in more of his surroundings, a sense of familiarity grew.

_~This isn't the facility they were keeping me in. This...this looks like the infirmary at UFI headquarters. How the hell can that be? I got out, didn't I? Eren was standing at a busted window. That other presence was trying to force me to take him, so I bolted before it could take over.~_

He remembered getting away, and as his recollection cleared further, he also recalled pursuit. There were several people with ODM gear chasing him, and there was also a helicopter. He made it to the bay bridge, and then...

Levi paled. And then he'd seen Erwin standing there, somehow waiting for him at the bridge. He'd been overcome with a killing urge, and Levi went for it in lieu of shaking his pursuit. Erwin—the self-sacrificing fucker—just stood there calmly waiting for his pairing blades to sink in. Levi couldn't stop himself. Then something happened right before Levi reached Erwin. Something pierced him in the side, and everything went black. That was the last thing he could remember until waking up just now.

He heard a soft snore to the right, and Levi turned his head to find Eren reclined in the visitor chair, dozing with a thin pillow propped beneath his head and a throw blanket covering him up. Levi's pulse quickened, and he dared to hope.

"Eren," he croaked. His voice sounded cracked and fragile. Levi wasn't used to sounding that way. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Eren. Oi, shitty brat."

Eren jerked awake at the call. His eyes flew open and came into focus on Levi, and he put the chair in the upright position so fast that it banged against the wall. He hopped up, nearly tripped on the blanket tangling around his feet, and he bent over Levi's prone form.

"Levi! You're awake!"

"You think?" Somehow the captain managed to retain his salty demeanor even though he was confused and still a little scared. "Am I at the UFI?"

"Yeah. H-Hange shot you with a dart full of this serum she came up with the counter the stuff they used on you to wipe part of your memory out," explained Eren in a rush. "It knocked you out though, and you fell into the bay. Your uncle got to you first and we rushed you here to the clinic. How do you feel?"

"Like shit," answered Levi, "but I'm here. I think I'm myself again...at least for now."

Eren smiled, but it trembled around the edges.

"You're hair's gotten long," Levi observed. He'd noticed it in the few instances of lucidity he'd had the past couple of times he'd seen him, but he had bigger concerns than to say something about it.

Eren touched the shoulder-length locks absently, and he nodded. "I'll get a haircut soon."

"No, I...like it. It suits you. You don't have to cut it short again."

Eren blinked. "You like it?"

Levi tried to shrug, but that was difficult to do in the restraints. "I liked it when we first got reunited. Just never told you so. I cut it back then to draw less attention to you and make you less easily recognized."

"Oh." Eren had the look of someone overcome with giddiness, and yet his eyes were watering. He sniffed. "I didn't know that."

"Just don't let it turn into a mop," warned Levi, feeling his own throat tighten. "Keep it groomed and I won't bitch about it."

Eren nodded. "Yes sir."

"Can't believe you still call me that." Levi's voice became even gruffer, and he cleared his throat. "Listen, Eren; there's a few things I want to say to you while I can."

"Levi, it can wait—"

"No, it can't," interrupted the agent. "I don't know how much time I've got, so I'm gonna try and tell you some things I wish I'd had the gumption to say before. Just listen, okay?"

Eren nodded, and he scooted the chair closer to the bed so that he could sit down. He rested a tanned, bruised hand over Levi's nearest one. "Okay, I'm listening."

Levi took a deep breath, and he forced the words out like he was puking them. He just had to let Eren know. It didn't have to be elegant or flowery or poetic, just so he said them. "When I first got assigned to protect you, I thought it was some sort of cosmic joke. I thought it was fucking cruel for fate to throw you in my path so directly again, just when I'd figured out how to box up the previous life and live this one. Knowing you wouldn't remember me just rubbed more salt into the wound, but damned if you didn't get to me right away. It all came right back. Know what I mean?"

Eren nodded, and he sniffed again. "Yeah. I felt the same way, even though I didn't know why until I drank Hange's tonic."

Levi took another deep breath. "You know I fought it for a while, but it got the better of me. I almost chickened out on our wedding day, too. That's how much of a fucking coward your husband is, kiddo. He almost left you at the alter."

Eren frowned, shaking his head. "It's okay, Levi."

"No, it isn't. You think I'm brave, courageous and strong like some kind of hero, but the truth is that only counts against things I can fight." Levi shut his eyes, and he willed himself to keep going. "I'm terrified of loss, and frankly, I've always been afraid of myself. Afraid of what would happen if I ever lost control. You wanna know what the _real_ reason was behind me sticking with Survey Corps and following Erwin Smith after my friends died?"

Eren nodded.

Levi opened his eyes and met the singer's gaze again. "It's because when I snapped and lost myself in those moments, he was the only one that wasn't afraid of me. Even with my blades at his throat cutting into his hands, even as I promised to kill him, he didn't flinch. I needed that. I needed to know I wasn't a monster, and I needed someone in my life that could check me if I got out of control. It was all because I had nobody left except myself, and I was scared I might lose that, too."

Eren started to weep in sympathy.

"Hey, don't do that," protested Levi. "You wanted me to share more, so I am."

"I kn-know," husked Eren. He pulled himself together with some effort. "It's just...I can relate. That's what you were to me, too...at least in the beginning."

Levi's brows pinched. "Huh. I never thought of that. Weird parallel."

"Yeah. Um, so what am I to you, if Erwin's your anchor?"

Levi almost said he was a pain in his ass, but this wasn't the time for sarcasm. He blushed as he stared up at his husband and stated the plain, simple truth. "You're my reason for living, brat."

That did Eren in, and he got out of the chair to bend over and kiss Levi. The warm splash of his tears on the agent's face made Levi's eyes burn responsively, and he found his strength in Eren's vulnerability.

"Shh, settle down," murmured Levi between kisses. "I'm here now. At least, I think I am."

Their tender moment was rudely interrupted by the door banging open, and Levi was chagrined to hear himself yelp right along with Eren. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his pelvic muscles to avoid pissing his pants.

"Eren, sorry for the abrupt entry," Hange said, wheeling in medical equipment. "I hope I didn't...oh! Levi, you're awake!"

"Yeah, and you're lucky I didn't soil the fucking bedding, four-eyes," he ground out. "My bladder's full. Learn not to slam doors."

"Sorry, my hands were full and I couldn't push this in and be delicate with the door," she excused. She rolled the equipment up against the wall near the door, and she hurried to his side. She looked him over intensely, checking his vital monitors. "How long have you been awake?"

"I dunno, about ten minutes, maybe. Hey, I get why you've got me in restraints, but can I at least have a hand free, something to piss in and a little privacy?" He squirmed, grimacing uncomfortably. Now that he'd called attention to it, his bladder was full near to bursting.

"See, I told them we should have inserted a catheter," she sighed. "Well, I suppose it's safe enough to give you a bed pan and some wipes. I'm sorry, but beyond that, I can't release you from those restraints without authorization. First you need to be diagnosed so that we can be sure we chased all those nasty cobwebs out of your mind."

"Fine," he sighed. "Just let me piss, and I'll answer whatever questions I can. Hurry it up, Hange."

"All right, all right. Keep your pants on and we'll take care of it."

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter Recaps:
> 
> Nanaba: "You and your crazy plans, Erwin."
> 
> Erwin: "Would I be me, otherwise?"
> 
> Eren: "How do we know he's going to fall for it?"
> 
> Mike: "We don't. It's called a gamble."
> 
> Nanaba: "WTH, where did these guys come from?"
> 
> Erwin: "No, let's not go with the avocado dip. The guest of honor prefers shrimp."
> 
> Ceiling Cat Levi (listening in): ( ੭눈 _ 눈 )੭ "WTF is he talking about? Dip? Party guests? I've gone rogue on them and they're planning a fucking party?"
> 
> Erwin: "Here, kitty-kitty. Just a little closer."
> 
> Ceiling Cat Levi: ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ *Is trapped* "Fuck!"
> 
> Kenny: "Kid sure can cuss, can't he?"
> 
> Erwin: "I just hope he's in one peace. All teams, be ready to retrieve—"
> 
> Eren: "FUCK THIS WINDOW!"
> 
> Ceiling Cat Levi: ┌∩┐(ಠ_ಠ)┌∩┐"Fuck this airduct."
> 
> Erwin: "...Let me revise that. Be ready to get our asses kicked."
> 
> Ceiling Cat Levi: ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ *Watches you crap your pants and then pounces*
> 
> Kenny: "Someone get a ball of string or something!"
> 
> Eren: (꒪⌓꒪) *Can't move*
> 
> Erwin: *Can't shoot*
> 
> Mikasa: *Can't give a damn*
> 
> Eren: (U •́ .̫ •̀ U) *puppy face* "Levi...?"
> 
> Levi: "Oh no...the 'look'. I'm foiled!"
> 
> Hange: "Everyone after the Ceiling Cat...I mean the peach...I mean our cosplayer...Shit, what are we calling Levi again? I'm confused." (・_・ヾ
> 
> Erwin: *Prepares to dive out of the helicopter without ODM gear or a chute*
> 
> Mike: "Hey, stop trying to kill yourself, boss!"
> 
> Erwin: ( ͡ಠ ʖ̯ ͡ಠ) "I will stare death in the face. I will not shit myself. Nor will I stare at his peach-shaped ass."
> 
> Hange: (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑ "YES! I got him!"
> 
> Hange: ヾ( •́д•̀ ;)ﾉ"No! I drowned him!"
> 
> Kenny: "Nup. Got him."
> 
> Levi and Eren: "I love you."
> 
> Hange: "HEY GUYS I JUST THOUGHT I'D INTERRUPT ANOTHER TENDER MOMENT"


	11. Chapter 11

Hange immediately started asking Levi questions, helping him to piece together the memories that were returning to him. She also evaluated him psychologically, though the agency was going to require a series of more thorough evaluations by a specialist before they were satisfied that Levi was indeed stable and no longer a liability.

"So you can't recall who did this to you yet?" Hange pressed after listening to his accounts of everything he remembered so far.

She noticed a shudder pass through him, and she peered over the top of her glasses at him. "Levi, do we need to take a break?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm just trying to remember more than his voice. It's familiar to me, but I still can't place it yet. All I know is that whoever he is, he really has it in for the UFI and especially me and Erwin. He wanted Eren too, and..."

He frowned, and Hange waited quietly, guessing he just remembered something else. "He said," Levi went on, brows furrowed with his inward struggle, "he said Eren wasn't to be touched until he said otherwise. He told me not to look at it as betraying my spouse, but bringing him 'home', whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. He also said he'd underestimated me once, so I have to know him from somewhere."

Levi's shadowed gaze dropped, losing focus. "He also seemed pretty invested in making sure people recognize me. Shit, there's more...I just can't find it right now."

"It's okay, grump. Take your time." Hange patted his hand. "You've only been awake after brain surgery for a couple of hours, plus I nearly drowned you..."

Hange's voice faltered, and she blinked rapidly at the horrid memory of watching him fall into the bay because of her.

"Hey, don't you start blubbering on me too," warned Levi. "I already went through this with Eren."

"I nearly killed you," she choked.

"You didn't," he reminded her. "Come on, four-eyes. You aren't clairvoyant. How were you supposed to know I'd land in the water? From what Eren told me, my fuel was still burning and I just kept going even after I passed out."

Hange drew a shuddering breath, forcing herself to calm back down. "You're right, I suppose. I'm just glad we got you resuscitated before any damage was done. I need to do a follow-up MRI on you in a few days to be sure nothing's amiss, but expect you'll make a full recovery."

"Good, then stop crying."

She smiled at him, and she dabbed at her eyes with her lab coat sleeve. Impulsively, she reached out to ruffle his dark hair.

"Oi, cut that out," he griped, trying to jerk his head away. "Just 'cause I'm tied up like this doesn't give you the right to take liberties."

"Sorry, Levi. I'm just glad you're on the mend. I'll explain more to you about the nano filament they put in your head later, after you've had more rest."

"It's going to be hard to rest when I'm stuck flat on my back and can't change positions," he grumbled. "Can't even scratch my nose."

Seeing him making a face, she took pity on him and gave his little nose a scratch. "There, better?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for the severe restraints, Levi. Erwin and I are going to work on getting you some slack. They'll probably want you moved to a secured cell soon, but at least once they do, you won't be restrained to a bed anymore. We'll do whatever we can to make this easier on you."

With that said, she decided to employ one specific method she could use to help him rest easier. She went over to the medicine cabinet, unlocked it and got out a fresh syringe to measure out some anxiety medication.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Levi asked suspiciously when Hange approached his IV bag with the medication.

"I'm giving you a little something to help you relax and make you more comfy," she explained evenly.

"I didn't say I wanted to be drugged," he protested. "I've been drugged enough."

Hange almost injected it into the port anyway, but she stopped. Levi had been robbed of his autonomy for the past two months. Even if she thought it was better for him, what the hell sort of friend would she be to ignore his wishes?

"If you really don't want it, then I won't give it to you," she sighed at last. She capped the needle. "But Levi, they may require you to be on medication for a while after this. You've been traumatized, and the medication I want to give you is the same that I've given you in pill form before. Do you really want to be stuck lying there with nothing to do but think? Sure, Eren can come back in here after I go and keep you company, but eventually you're going to get stir crazy. At least this way by the time you wake up again, we might have permission to move you and get you out of these restraints."

He compressed his lips, and he looked off to the side. Hange could see pride and defeat warring in his eyes, and she reached out to stroke his hair, platonically supportive.

"I know, Levi. You're stubborn, and you'd rather lay there stewing for hours than let your mind be clouded again, but I'm offering some relief for you as your _friend_. I have the authority to medicate you anyway, but I'll respect your decision."

Levi breathed a sigh. He seemed to relax, as if the knowledge that he still had some control over what happened to him was of some small comfort. "All right. Go ahead and dose me. I give my permission."

Hange nodded, and she took her hand away from his hair to uncap the syringe again. Her hunch had been right; it wasn't exactly medical relief that Levi had objected to. It was being completely at the mercy of another. Letting him retain some authority over what happened to him seemed to have been the right move on her part, and it provided positive results.

"Rest well, little grump," she murmured as she injected the dose into the IV port. She smiled down at him and stroked his hair softly until the medication took effect and he fell asleep. "We'll get you out of these restraints as soon as we can, Levi. I'm not going to let you be treated like an animal."

* * *

"And so sirs, I'm prepared to take full responsibility for any violations committed by Agent Ackerman against the conditions of his parole."

The UFI Director Committee was headed by three High Directors, all with equal authority and equal say over all matters regarding their government branches protocol and in dealing with issues such as this. All three were present, and their decisions had to be unanimous. They looked at one another, and the high director in the center of the long table spoke first.

"Director Smith, you've already been temporarily suspended from duty while we investigate the details of these events and decide on the best course of action. Are you so willing to risk another mark against you that could result in complete expulsion from this agency and likely time in prison?"

Erwin nodded calmly, standing straight and tall. "I am."

How many times had he done this now, both in this life and the past. He considered himself an expert at such proceedings now. He had more experience in politics, negotiation and tribunals than anyone else on the planet by now, he was certain. At the very least, his familiarity with how to navigate the figurative gauntlet of these proceedings gave him an edge.

"And this agent," the high director on the left added, "is worthy of such an exception? This isn't just a matter of our agency's security, Erwin. It's a matter of national security as well. A top agent has been compromised, and he may have already shared confidential secrets with enemies. Now you're asking us to release him, knowing all that."

"I'm asking you to allow Agent Ackerman to go home, to be placed under house arrest and closely monitored...but only after you are satisfied with the results of his psychological evaluation. As for whether he's worthy, I think his record more than speaks for itself. He's never failed an assignment, he was an invaluable help in last year's conflict against the BRS and their allies, and up until recently, he managed his team with unquestionable efficiency and success."

"Nobody is denying that," stated the man on the right, "but let's consider the facts. You are asking us to put our trust in you when you have, on multiple occasions, proceeded with operations without clearance. Rumor has it you involved civilians in the struggle against the BRS, as well. Not just Dr. Zoë, whom you were given permission to include in the mission. Nobody has provided proof yet, but we aren't inclined to brush off the possibility that you would be so bold."

"If nobody has proof of these accusations to present to the committee, then it's irrelevant," stated Erwin calmly, neither confirming nor denying it. "As for my previous methods, secrecy was necessary in some cases, due to our security breaches. We needed to keep the enemy in the dark about our plans as much as possible to stack the odds in our favor. It was unfortunate that this required actions that can be rightfully construed as insubordinate. I make no excuses for myself, and I am solely responsible for all command decisions not cleared with the committee."

He paused, and he added softly. "You may question my methods, sirs, but the results speak for themselves."

The trio went silent, and many moments ticked by. Erwin did not move, calmly awaiting their decision. Finally, the middle high director spoke his thoughts.

"Say we grant your request and allow Agent Ackerman to return home after initial evaluation and observation. He will need regular psychological testing, and Hange Zoë can't be assigned to do that because her friendship with him could cause a conflict of interest."

Erwin nodded. "We understand that, and I'm sure Agent Ackerman will too."

"And you're determined to vouch for him, though you're putting yourself at great risk by doing so?"

Again, Erwin nodded. "Not just me, but Dr. Zoe, my deputy director Agent Zacharius, her assistant Moblit and Levi's entire team are willing to vouch for him in writing as well. Consider them character witnesses, though I will gladly be the one to take full responsibility if anything goes wrong. I have complete faith and trust in Agent Ackerman, as do his coworkers, friends and family. This was not an instance of deliberate betrayal or insubordination on his part, and I know he'll cooperate with whatever decision you make."

The director committee members glanced at each other. "We'll make our decision once the first stage of his psychological evaluations are complete. Should the reports be favorable, we'll discuss your proposal in depth and make our decision. Until then, you're granted permission to have Agent Ackerman moved into the holding wing under headquarters for greater comfort. He must be under strict guard at all times. We have no problem with treating him well and keeping him comfortable, so long as he's completely secure. After all, he _is_ numbered amongst the top five agents this agency has ever had, and as such, he will be treated with respect."

The tension Erwin was keeping carefully hidden relaxed, and he held his stoic mask in place. "Thank you, sirs. Am I dismissed?"

"Yes, by all means. Dismissed, Agent Smith."

Erwin saluted, and he nearly gave his superiors the old Scout salute that had passed into time. He exited the board room, and once it was closed behind him, he produced a handkerchief from his vest pocket and wiped his brow with it. Did they have to keep it so _warm_ in there?

"I'm getting too old for this," he grumbled. At least he had some good news for Levi, paltry though it may be.

* * *

Levi slept through the entire process of transporting him from the infirmary to his cell. When he woke up, he didn't know if it was morning, noon or night. He was again disoriented, as well as surprised to realize that he wasn't strapped down to his bed. He rolled onto his side and lay still for a moment, reaching out with his other senses before opening his eyes. Had he imagined waking up in the UFI infirmary? Had it just been a dream born of desperate, wishful thinking to find his husband sitting beside him, talking to him and kissing him lovingly? Was he actually waking up in his bed at the facility his captors kept him in?

His mind felt clear, if a little muzzy with sleep. His head ached a little. The pillow that his head rested on didn't feel like the one he usually woke up to. It molded to the contours of his skull, cradling it softly without giving too much. It reminded him of the memory foam pillow he always slept on at home. In fact, the pillow case smelled just like the same laundry detergent he used. He wasn't home, though. Couldn't be home in his own bedroom...unless he'd blacked out again and went there without realizing it.

He had to know, despite his misgivings. Levi opened his eyes slowly, and he looked around at his surroundings. He was in a room that was about twenty by twenty feet, and there was a small toilet and washroom area with a curtain around it for some privacy. Currently, that curtain was open.

He recognized this setting. He'd escorted prisoners into cells like this before, if he wasn't mistaken.

"Welcome back," said a deep voice from near the foot of his bed.

Levi sat up abruptly, and he turned to find Erwin Smith standing against the wall near the reinforced door. The blond was regarding him calmly, but there was a subtle smile on his lips.

"How do you feel, Levi?"

The smaller man frowned, and he had a better look around him. "Head hurts a little and I'm confused as hell. Other than that, not bad. Am I in UFI holding?"

"Yes, you are. You slept through it when you were moved down here from the infirmary. Hange must have dosed you pretty good to ensure you got enough rest."

"Huh. How long have I been down here? Last thing I remember was being strapped to a bed and Hange squirting some of her happy juice into my IV."

"You've only been in this cell for about six hours," explained the director. "I had you moved as soon as my superiors gave me clearance to do so. Eren's been by to see you since we transferred you down here. He wasn't permitted to stay long due to your lack of restraints, but I'm sure once you've been more thoroughly evaluated, you'll be granted more visitation time with him. Oh, and he brought your favorite pillow from home with a fresh pillow case on it. He also brought the throw covering you with the sheets. He asked me to tell you that he'll be by tomorrow, and if you've a list of personal items you would like him to bring, let me know and I'll relay it to him."

Levi's brows pinched as he absorbed all this. "You work fast, big guy. I thought they'd keep me in hospital care for a few days."

"That was their plan, but it didn't sit well with me for you to be kept completely immobile for that long. I negotiated with the committee to improve your situation somewhat, though they may restrain you for medical and psychological evaluations until they're certain there's no danger of you getting aggressive with anyone. It's nothing personal; just safety protocol to protect the staff in the event that they do something that might trigger you."

"I get it," murmured Levi, and he did. He didn't want to lose it and hurt someone. Better to be strapped down for security when he was putting up with getting diagnosed.

Levi sighed, and he pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around him. He was dressed in a pair of baggy sweatpants and an overlarge, button-up shirt. It dawned on him whose clothing it was when he detected Eren's scent coming from the garments.

"Let me guess: Eren dressed me in these clothes?"

Erwin smiled, and he helped himself to a seat on the stool near the bed. "Yes. He brought those with the pillow and blanket. He said he just grabbed something without looking, but I've a feeling he brought his own clothes for you to wear on purpose."

Levi rolled up both sleeves a little, so that they weren't dangling over his hands. He smirked, imagining Eren's motivation. He could just imagine the singer telling him that just because they couldn't hold each other tonight, it didn't mean he wouldn't be with him. Levi caught himself sniffing at the material of his right sleeve and rubbing it against his cheek.

"I'm waiting for you to start purring," chuckled Erwin. "You remind me of a cat snuggling into a basket of warm laundry."

Levi flushed and dropped his arms. "Tch. You've been spending too much time at Madeline's place. You were never a cat person before."

Erwin shrugged. "I never disliked cats, but I admit, I've gained a fondness of them since getting to know her furry trio, and the more I observe them, the more I think your behavior is similar. Even Hange's dubbed you with a new nickname."

"Do I even want to know?"

Erwin grinned. "She's been calling you 'ceiling cat', since you've pounced on us twice from the air duct system in the ceiling."

"As if she really _needs_ more stupid nicknames for me," grumbled the captain. He sobered. He could recall both of the instances mentioned by Erwin now. He couldn't decide if he was happy or disconcerted with that. He still couldn't place the familiar voice of the person that did all of this to him, nor could he yet recall a face. It really bothered him.

"Levi?"

He looked at his former commander, and he heaved a tired sigh. "I keep trying to picture the guy that did my 'programming'. I can remember some details of the place I kept going back to, but not much yet besides the room they were keeping me in. I can picture the inside of one of the lab rooms too, but that's a little fuzzier. Still couldn't describe the guy that was giving me orders, though."

Erwin went still, and as Levi watched, the blond's handsome face took on one of those blank, stoic expressions he was so familiar with. "Give it time," advised Erwin. "I'm sure it will come to you soon enough, Levi. You're pushing yourself too much and trying too hard. Just let it come back to you on its own, and focus on getting well and sharing information with us as it comes to you."

Levi narrowed his eyes at him. "You know something, don't you? Something you're not telling me."

The chiseled mask cracked a bit, and a regretful look manifested in the vivid blue eyes. "There are some things that I'm not permitted to speak with you about, yes. You know how it is, Levi. What I can tell you, however, is what we've been negotiating for you and the terms you'll need to agree with to see it come to fruition. Shall we discuss that now?"

Levi made an annoyed sound in his throat, but he understood Erwin Smith, and he knew the man wouldn't impart any mysteries to him until he felt the time was right. Erwin always had a good reason for such tactics.

"Fine. Tell me what I should expect from here on out, creep."

* * *

Eren was quite eager to visit Levi again when permitted. He brought with him a meal his mother had made for the captain, stored in a container with little compartments to keep the food separated. He had to let security check it out, and they allowed him to warm it up in the microwave once they were sure nothing was being smuggled to the prisoner in it. The bag of personal belongings and gifts Eren brought with him was also inspected, and Eren was a little dismayed when one of the items had to be left behind at the security checkpoint.

He got escorted to Levi's cell and, thanks to Mike's approval, he was given permission to see his husband in private for a thirty minute visit. Levi was sitting on his bed when Eren stepped into the cell with his offerings in his arms. The agent looked up at his spouse, and those sleepy gray eyes subtly lit up at the sight of him. Levi stood up slowly as the door closed behind Eren, looking him up and down. Eren did the same to Levi. Damn, Levi looked cute wearing Eren's clothes. They were too big for him, but that just made it more attractive on him.

"Hi," said Eren softly.

"Hi," came the low response.

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then Levi clicked his tongue and gestured at the bed. "Tch. Stop standing there at the door and come sit down with me. I'm not gonna bite you, Eren."

Eren shook himself out of it, and he smirked. "Even if you did, I wouldn't mind." He joined Levi on the bed, and he set the bag down on the floor. He bent over to retrieve the food container, the plastic ware and the napkin, and he offered it to Levi. "Here, I brought you lunch. Mom made it for you. She said while she's sure they're feeding you well in here, you should have a home-cooked meal. She made your favorite; including a caramel slice for dessert."

"Trying to fatten me up while I'm in here, is she?" Levi set the eating utensils aside on the bedside table—which was bolted to the floor so that the resident prisoner couldn't try to use it as a weapon against guards. He took the lid off of the container and inspected the warm meal. It consisted of a slice of Madeline's homemade meatloaf, a serving of her peppered kettle corn some buttered and seasoned asparagus and a caramel slice. Levi wasn't usually one for meals of the hearty variety, generally preferring a lighter fair, but Madeline's "soul food" was the exception and his guilty pleasure.

"Tell Mads thanks for me," he said, his stomach growling at the aroma. "The food they give me isn't bad at all...comes from our own cafeteria and we've got decent cooks working in there. Still not as good as this."

Eren smiled. "You deserve some 'comfort food', babe. Mom's going to come for a visit too, as soon as they've given the okay for it. Right now I guess they're restricting it to UFI personnel and me."

"Good policy," said Levi. He started cutting into the meat loaf. "I'm having my first Psych evaluation later today. We're just gonna have to take it one day at a time."

The agent paused and glanced at Eren, then at the food in his lap. "Want some?"

"Thanks, I already had some," Eren explained. "We had an early lunch at Mom's place before I came here. Go ahead and eat, Levi. This is your meal. Oh, and here's some tea." He reached into the bag and pulled out the bottled green tea he'd brought to go with the meal. "Sorry it's not your favorite. They wouldn't let me bring you a hot beverage or I would have brought one of your tea bags and made you some Earl Gray in the break room."

"This is fine." Levi took the drink, and he set it down on the bedside table. He took a bite of the meatloaf, and he nodded in approval at the flavor as he chewed and swallowed. "Shit, I swear her loaf gets better every time she cooks it. What'd she do different, this time?"

"She'll love to hear that." Eren smiled. "She added a little more brown sugar to the sauce. She wondered if you'd notice."

"Well, you can tell her I did, and I approve." Levi took another bite, and he shook up his tea and opened the lid. "How are the mutts doing?"

"They're both good. Happy to be home again and in their own back yard. They miss you, though."

"Hmm." Levi swallowed a bite of kettle corn, and he sipped his tea. "I miss the pups too. All _three_ of them." He gave Eren a pointed glance.

Laughing softly at the not-so-subtle reference to Levi's comparison of him to a puppy, Eren spread his hands. "Well, we all want our kitty home. So, what do you do in here all day when they aren't questioning you or examining you? They must have a shower room somewhere, right? Your hair looks clean and smells nice."

"Yeah, they escort prisoners that want to bathe to the showers every morning, though I'm currently the only one in holding down here right now. Everyone else they had in detainment here got transferred to the main holding facility on the other side of town. Looks like they plan on keeping me here until I'm approved to go home. I get one ten-minute shower a day with a two guard escort. I've got to wear cuffs 'till I step into one of the shower rooms, and they lock me in there until I'm finished bathing and dressing. Then they escort me straight back to my cell."

Eren winced.

"Hey, it could be worse, kiddo," reminded Levi. "A _lot_ worse. Most agents that go rogue and betray the organization get charged with treason and end up sentenced for life, if not executed. Depends on the severity of their actions. Luckily, I didn't kill anyone when I was...flipped. All the same, regardless of why, I threatened the security of our agency, along with national security. I'm lucky to get accommodations like this, decent meals and the chance to redeem myself and fix my fuck-up."

"But it wasn't your fault!"

"Lower your damned voice," snapped Levi, his eyes flashing with sudden anger. It took a moment for Eren to realize it was directed inwardly, rather than at him. "Don't treat me like a victim, brat. I'm not blameless, regardless of how my strings were being pulled. I got caught. It's as simple as that."

Levi sighed, closed his eyes and dropped his plastic fork to his plate. "I got caught," he repeated again. "I was careless. That alone puts blame on my shoulders. I'm supposed to be a better agent than that."

Eren put an arm around him, hesitantly. "It could happen to anyone, Levi. All it takes is a second. You can't be perfect at everything, all the time."

"Heh. Don't you know me at all?" Levi turned his head slowly, cracking his lids open to gaze at him. There was a touch of a smirk on his lips.

"Right," sighed Eren. "You're a damned perfectionist. It's one of your quirks I'm used to, but sometimes I think you're unreasonably hard on yourself. You expect too much of yourself, and you've got to remember that you're human."

He leaned in to give his husband a soft kiss on the cheek. "You aren't a monster, and you're not a superhero. You're Levi. You're about as close to being a perfect fighter as anyone will ever get, but you've got to give yourself a little slack. You're perfect to me in every way that counts, though."

"There you go again," sighed Levi, "spouting off poetry. You and that douchebag commander of ours are alike, in that respect."

"You mean Erwin?" The singer laughed, he couldn't help it. "We're not a thing alike!"

"When it comes to flowery language and being overly sentimental, yes you are." Levi pulled away a little, and he offered Eren one of those sweet, rare little smiles of his. "The similarities end there, though. You lack his discipline and calm, and he lacks your morality and innocence. Still, I think the two of you compliment each other like night compliments day. Shit, now you've got me spouting poetic bullshit..."

Eren cupped the side of his spouse's head and he kissed his temple, chuckling under his breath. "Guess it's contagious, like a sneeze or a yawn."

"Well, stop doing that," griped Levi.

"I'll try." Eren released the smaller man so that Levi could finish his lunch. "I brought you that book you like about pirates and I—"

"I don't like pirates."

"Yes, you do! You read this one all the time, anyway. So I brought you that, along with the clothes and toiletries you asked for. I would have brought your laptop if they hadn't confiscated it."

"Don't worry about it." Levi was blushing slightly, evidently embarrassed over Eren's discovery that he enjoyed whimsical, romantic fantasy/adventure stories. "And they issued me an electronic tablet with limited internet access. It's also got these puzzles and brain games to fuck with, along with Solitaire. I can only access approved sites on it, but I can download e-books and movies to watch, so when I'm not exercising, I've got something to do."

"Wow, I guess they _are_ giving you the royal treatment," mused Eren. "It's a lot better than staring at the walls or ceilings all day, anyhow. Have you downloaded any good movies since they gave it to you?"

"There's one I downloaded about...er..." Levi trailed off and looked away with a frown.

Eren grinned. "Pirates?"

The smaller man's gaze snapped back to him. "Yeah, all right. So what?"

"You don't have to hide it, Levi. There's nothing wrong with liking stories about pirates." Eren couldn't stop smiling. Levi was so cute when he got embarrassed. "I wish I had time to stay and watch it with you. Maybe when you finish eating, you could start it up and we could at least watch the beginning together."

"I suppose." Levi had only his dessert left, and he started on that. "So Eren, while I'm in here, I don't want you putting everything on hold waiting for me to get out. Keep on like normal and don't worry about me. That's an order from your 'captain'."

"Aye aye, sir."

Levi sighed and glanced at him, but he said nothing.

* * *

Hange came down to the holding area with the intent of prepping Levi for his first professional evaluation session, but when she made it to his cell door and got informed that he currently had a visitor, she hesitated to interrupt. She peeked through the small window on the door, and she saw Levi sitting on the bed up against the wall with Eren. They were cuddled up together with Levi's issued media tablet propped up on the agent's lap. Eren had his head on Levi's shoulder, and it looked like they might be watching a program together.

"Doctor, do you want me to escort Mr. Jaeger out so that you can speak in private with the prisoner?" asked one of the guards.

Hange blinked, and she looked at the man. "What? Oh, absolutely not! I wouldn't dream of interrupting their visit. In fact, give them an extra hour."

"Ma'am?" Both of the guards glanced nervously between them, and the one who had spoken looked at the door. "But civilian visitation is supposed to be limited to thirty minutes, with no more than three visitors per day."

"Then assign the other two visitation blocks to Eren," she suggested with a shrug. "Nobody else is on the schedule to come visiting today, seeing as Agent Ackerman's visitation privileges are limited to his husband right now. In fact, you can do that every time Levi's husband comes for a visit, if there's nobody else on the list. I'll put a personal note in your logs stating that I'm the one that okayed it. Problem solved."

"I...I'm not sure—"

"Do it," ordered Hange, her tone and stance hardening. "As Levi's primary physician, I have the authority to approve it. Don't argue with me."

"Yes ma'am," they both said in unison.

Hange nodded, satisfied. "Good. I'll be back at two. Let Mr. Jaeger know his visitation is extended, would you? After that, leave them in peace until time's up."

* * *

The movie had barely started before one of the guards opened the door and spoke to the couple.

"Mr. Jaeger, you have another hour and fifteen minutes with the prisoner. Dr. Zoë granted you the additional two visitation time blocks for today."

The door shut again before either of them could respond. Eren gave Levi a puzzled look. Levi realized what had just happened, and he smirked. "Looks like shitty-glasses came through for us. We can finish the movie together, after all."

* * *

When Eren's time was up, the couple embraced and kissed before the singer left Levi's cell with the promise that he would be back tomorrow to see him again. Levi busied himself with setting out a pair of pajamas to change into later, along with a change of clothes for the next day. At least they weren't forcing him to wear one of those ridiculous prison jumpers. His Prisoner ID was in the form of a bracelet on his wrist with a scanning and tracking chip built into it, so there was no need for ugly uniforms in this place. He almost considered having Eren take back the borrowed clothes in exchange for another set of Levi's clothing on his next visit, but Levi decided against it. He was only allowed three changes of everyday clothing and one pair of pajamas. He wasn't trying to win a fashion contest, and it did comfort him to have something of Eren's to wear.

He arranged his toiletries in the small bathroom, setting out his toothbrush and toothpaste on the basin. Hange came for a visit before his first psychological evaluation appointment, and she explained some of the tests and questions he could expect of it.

"They'll probably do some standard exercises for a start, and they'll interview you concerning what you can remember from the date you first went missing up until now. You can expect a bit of gas lighting, too. They're going to try and make you question your own perceptions, to determine how confident you are that your answers are the truth. Don't let it get to you, okay, Levi?"

"I'll try to play it cool," he agreed. He nodded at the tablet that he'd set on the bedside table. "I've noticed some of the puzzles on that thing are psych based. Is that why you encouraged me to play some of 'em?"

She half-grimaced and half-smiled. "Yes. I'll be honest with you: they monitor your activities on that thing to see how you solve those puzzles and play those games. I'm sorry if it seems invasive, but it can actually help in your evaluation. If they see you scoring high on those, it's more points in your favor."

"That's fine." He shrugged. "They help pass the time, anyway."

She hesitated. "Have you happened to remember anything more about the person behind all this, Levi?"

"Nothing solid." He gave her a sharp look. "What's going on, four-eyes? I get the feeling you and Erwin are both in on something you haven't told me."

"You aren't wrong, but I can't give you that information right now. Sorry grump."

"Figured as much. Erwin's being tight-lipped too, but it was worth a gamble to hit you up."

Hange smiled. "Hopefully it will make sense, soon. Anyway, to purposely change the subject: your uncle's been by a few times asking about you. Interesting, huh?"

"No. Weird." Levi's brows knitted. "What does that old snake care for?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he dove into the bay after you and happened to be the one that found you and brought you to shore? I know there's no love lost between the two of you, and you have the most volatile family relationship I've ever seen. Still, you must mean something to him. He saved your life, after all. I think I'm actually starting to like the shady bean pole."

Levi was admittedly speechless, for a moment. Eren did tell him that Kenny was the one to retrieve him from the bay, but in Levi's jaded opinion, his uncle had only done that to score brownie points with the UFI to shorten his parole. There was no personal benefit to Kenny coming by asking about him.

"Just what the hell is he up to?" murmured the agent, unable to fathom the possibility that Kenny might actually care about him.

"Why question it?" Hange spread her hands. "The truth is, no matter how annoying that fellow might be, he's been useful to us. He could prove useful in the fight against your abductors, too. He's got a military record, so if Erwin can get approval for it, Kenny might be eligible for recruitment. He's already shared a lot of intel with us concerning the faction groups involved in this latest conflict, and he's familiar with the way they do things. Time will tell. If nothing else, we can look at him as a tool."

"He's a 'tool', all right," sighed Levi.

Hange chuckled. "Well, I should be going. I'll be back by tonight before bedtime to talk some more, Levi."

He nodded. While the agency was assigning specialists to analyze him psychologically, Hange was still his primary doctor, and she would probably be the one he spoke to regarding any memories he recovered that offered some tactical advantage. "See you then. I'll try to be civil to whatever quack they send in for my evaluation today."

* * *

That night, Mike worked late and he went over the evaluation reports with Erwin. Though he was currently acting as director of their department, he still shared everything of importance with his oldest friend, keeping nothing from him even though Erwin didn't really have clearance to review all of it.

"Seems like we're always sneaking under the higher ups' radar," Mike said as they sat in his office and looked through the files.

"Sometimes that's necessary to accomplish our goals," replied Erwin without hesitation. He paused in reading Levi's psychological analogy, and he started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Mike, glancing up from other reports he was going over.

"Listen to this," answered Erwin once he composed himself enough to speak. Even as he started reading, he had to pause to chuckle between sentences. " _'Subject is cooperating, but possessed of scathing sarcasm and open contempt. Responses to stimuli tests, ink blots and behavioral tests favorably indicate quick and logical thinking. Slight indication of paranoia, though taking recent experience into account, post-traumatic stress is the likely cause. Will suggest treatment after second evaluation. Subject seems stable, yet undeniably hostile. His answer to one ink blot when asked what it looked like to him was: "your ass". Anger management may be required. Subject also appears to have a fixation with bowel movements and may have Turrets Syndrome."_

Erwin dissolved into laughter again upon sharing the last part, and Mike grinned as well, shaking his head.

"Someone should have explained Levi's personality to him," Mike reasoned.

Erwin nodded. "Yes, and I'll remedy that tomorrow. By all reported observations of behavior, Levi was merely being himself. So long as he doesn't throw anything or get physically violent otherwise, I don't think anger management is necessary. The paranoia is the only part in the report that concerns me, but I agree with the doctor in that Levi probably has post traumatic stress. I know I would, if it had happened to me."

They both sobered, and Erwin set the psych analysis down on the desk and leaned back in his chair, threading his fingers together in his lap. "Imagine what it would be like, my friend. Just imagine waking up in a strange place one day, with no idea how you got there or what happened to you."

Mike grunted. "Happens to people all the time."

Erwin raised a brow.

"What, you've never drank too much and woke up not knowing where the hell you are or how you got there?" pressed the bigger man.

"I wasn't talking about the day after a wild night out."

"I know." Mike shrugged. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

"I appreciate that, but I'm being serious. Let's try to put ourselves in Levi's shoes before we make judgment on his behavior. Here is a man that only relinquishes control to those he respects and trusts the most. Even then, Levi has always been master of himself. Just imagine what he must be going through. Imagine how debasing it must be, how it must wound his pride."

"Yeah, I know, chief. I don't think any of us would do much better than he has, and I'm keeping that in mind with my reports to our superiors. I don't want him stuck in that cell anymore than you do, but I don't have the emotional attachment to him that you have."

Erwin nodded. "Just so, and that's why a part of me is relieved to have you handling these reports right now, rather than myself. You can do so more objectively than I can, and I trust you to give a fair perspective on the matter without overt bias. I still intend to advise Dr. Hooper on what's normal behavior in Levi, to ensure he gets fair evaluations. I suppose I should also speak with Levi and remind him to be civil—or as civil as can be expected of a man like him."

"I wouldn't say he's not civil," observed Mike. "Just brutally honest and crude."

Erwin nodded, conceding the opinion. "In that, I suppose your impression of Levi is fairer than my own. He's always seemed a bit rough around the edges to me."

"That's because you're so snooty," Mike pointed out. "That's what Levi would say, anyhow."

Erwin chuckled. "Fair enough."

* * *

The next day, Levi had his first appointment with Dr. Hooper just after lunch. They sat down together in a room Levi had been escorted to, and he was hooked up to a polygraph before the session began.

"I've been informed that your...shall we say abrasive behavior is the norm for you, Agent Ackerman," said the doctor as he took his seat at the desk.

Levi shrugged. "If I start talking like Erwin Smith, then you can worry. I'll try to tone it down a little if you've got thin skin."

"No need," assured the doctor. "Now that I know what to expect insofar as common personality traits, I have a better platform to work with."

"They didn't prepare you much, did they?"

"Unfortunately, the situation didn't allow for an in-depth description of your habits and personality," excused Dr. Hooper. "They assigned me to you in haste, and all that I had to go on were your personnel files describing your work accomplishments and medical history. Now we have more to build on, though. Shall we begin?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah, doc. Let's get this over with."

* * *

Levi completed his evaluation and enjoyed a good visit with Eren. They spent a little time making out and talking about plans for how they would handle things if he got released to go home under supervision, and Eren told him about the new songs he was working on. The singer brought a thumb drive for Levi to transfer some of the music samples to his media device so that he could listen to them, and the visit ended all too soon. After dinner, Hange came by to visit with him for a little while. She asked if he was feeling any anxiety, and he nearly denied it. However, the truth was he did suffer some. He'd been told that he was going to be getting a visit from one of the committee representatives tomorrow, and that had him more nervous than he cared to admit.

"Levi, if you think you're going to have trouble relaxing enough to get some sleep, you should let me give you a couple of pills," urged Hange. "In fact, I think they plan on putting you on this prescription anyway until you've got a clean bill of mental health again, so you might as well get used to taking it each day."

He sighed, and he held out his hand. "Fine. Hand 'em over."

"Look at that pout," observed Hange with a smile. She produced a pill bottle from her pocket, and she opened it to procure two tablets. "Here you go, midget. Try taking just one if you like, and put the other on your nightstand in case you need more. I know how you hate to feel doped up."

"Thanks." Levi dry-swallowed the first one, and he set the other one on the bedside table. "Any word yet on a plan of attack?"

She nibbled her lip and looked away. "They're prepping for it, but so far there hasn't been a mission plan outline."

Levi eyed her suspiciously. "Or you just can't tell me about it. No, it's okay. Don't look at me like that. I understand."

Hange patted him on the shoulder, and then she straightened up and put the pill bottle away. "Well, I'd best be going. If you remember anything new, tell your guards to call me right away, all right? I don't care what time it is."

"Okay. Goodnight, four-eyes."

Levi watched her go, and when the door shut and locked behind her, he got up and went into the small lavatory area and pulled the curtains shut to change into his PJ's. He did a few pushup and sit-up repetitions before wiping off with a damp washcloth and climbing into bed. He was feeling just mellow enough from the anxiety pill he'd taken to feel like he might be able to get some sleep, and he lay on his back with his fingers threaded behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. His eyes drifted shut after a while, and his mind started drifting.

As he lay there slowly falling asleep, Levi's mind replayed some memories from the past life, as well as the present one. Nothing too exciting, just snatches of strategic meetings with the Survey Corps, a few blurred memories of social gatherings, some random snatches of things he'd done with Eren and his friends in this life, and the mental image of Lena's face looking up at him with soulful eyes.

"Miss my dog," he mumbled. He missed both of them. He missed his home, and he missed the simple domestics that went on in that home between him and Eren. He missed cooking with his husband and picking on him when Eren screwed something up. He missed the way Eren would come up behind him while he was cooking and embrace him, watching Levi work like it was some kind of magic he couldn't fathom. He missed lounging by the pool with Eren, just kicking back, listening to some music and having a drink or two after a long day's work.

Levi's thoughts again traversed backwards in time, and the unpleasant memories of the struggle against the beast titan and his armies arose unbidden. He tried to banish them, preferring the mundane, un-exciting recollections over that horror and heartache. The more he tried not to think of that time, however, the more vividly he recalled it.

Levi yanked his hands out from beneath his head, and he pressed the heals of his palms against his eyelids, shaking his head in denial. "Fuck off," he muttered to those memories. "I don't want to think about that, right now. I just want to fall asleep remembering bland, boring shit."

That was why people suggested counting sheep to aid in falling asleep, right? It was monotonous and repetitive. When the mind got over-stimulated, it was hard to shut down and rest. That had always been a problem with Levi. He'd been an insomniac throughout both lives, and he found the only time he could truly get a good night's sleep was with Eren beside him. He used to sleep well with Erwin too, before their previous relationship went to pot.

"Shut up, shut up, shut _up_!"

Levi realized what he might sound like if someone was sound-monitoring this cell. They'd probably think he was hearing voices in his head. He didn't know for sure that they were listening in on this room, but it was better not to take chances and talk to himself. He heaved a sigh, rolled onto his side and stuffed his spare pillow over his head. That didn't help. The memories still kept flooding in. He could see the beast titan as clearly in his thoughts as if it had only been yesterday, and he revisited the memory of seeing the man behind the titan emerge from that gigantic, hairy nape for the first time in a cloud of steam.

Levi went still, his eyes popping open wide beneath the shield of his pillow. The eyes. The bone structure. The hair. The glasses. Most of all, the voice. His past life was not the last time he'd heard that voice speak to him, nor was it the last time he'd seen that face. It all came back to him in a rush as he pictured General Zeke's features clear as a bell, and his brain matched it up with the face of Levi's tormenter.

His puppet-master was Zeke.

* * *

-To be continued


	12. Chapter 12

The next day, Hange rushed into Mike's office with a report from Levi, bright and early in the morning. "I wanted to give this to you first. You should call Erwin."

Mike frowned at the folder on his desk. "What is it? More info about the enemy?"

"Yes. Even better: Levi remembered who did this to him on his own. I got a call late last night from holding, and when they said Levi was demanding to talk to me, I rushed right over. He knows it was Zeke, and he's remembered some things about the inner layout of that compound they had him holed up in."

Mike grabbed up his phone. "I'll call Erwin. He needs to be here."

Hange nodded with enthusiasm, and she had a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of Mike's desk while he dialed their superior. "Hey chief, it's me," greeted Mike as soon as the director picked up. "Hange's got news for us on Levi's status. She says he's recalling some things. He knows it was Zeke. Yeah, that's right. Okay, I'll send it to the higher-ups."

Mike listened to Erwin's instructions for a moment before speaking again. "I'm not sure if they'll go for that, but we'll see. Just don't get your hopes up."

Hange listened in curiously as Mike finished the call and ended it. "Well? What are we doing?"

"Erwin said to report it right away," obliged Mike. "He wants to put in a request for Levi to be sent home under supervision, now that we've got some proof he's self-autonomous."

She sighed with relief, and she slumped back in her chair. "I understand why they'd be hesitant to take him out of custodian supervision, but it really would be better for him to finish his recovery at home. Let's just hope Erwin can pull a rabbit out of his hat like he usually does."

Mike smirked. "You could toss that guy in a river, and he'd come up holding a gold watch in both hands." His amusement faded, and his expression fell. "I think he's running out of rabbits, though."

"Do you?" Hange bit her lip. "Levi's been invaluable to the agency, though."

"He's also fucking dangerous," reminded Mike. "Nobody knows that better than him, too."

"So you think he'd protest if he gets permission to go home?" Hange frowned as well. "Sounds like our grump. The poor thing's riddled with guilt, even if he tries to blow it off. This has all been so hard on him."

"Then maybe he needs someone to convince him to cut himself a little slack," Mike suggested softly. "He might not admit it, but the little shit respects your opinions. Talk him down."

She seemed mildly flattered by the observation, and she flushed. "Well, Levi and I went through an awful lot together, back in the day. I'm not sure he respects my opinions as much as you think, though."

"He respects them more than most of the rest of us," Mike insisted keenly. "You two have a weird connection. If anyone can convince him, it's going to be you or Eren."

Hange chuckled. "Eren might have better luck than me. All he has to do is give Levi the puppy eyes. You're probably right, though. Levi might feel manipulated if Eren uses his charms to convince him. What he needs is an honest opinion from a friend, not pressure from his screaming singer."

"Yeah." Mike tilted his head a little. "You know, I haven't really listened to any of Eren's music. Maybe I should give it a try. I keep hearing people rave about his band."

"Oh! I can shoot you a link with some samples you can listen to for free," offered Hange. "They're _really_ good, Mike. It's just your type of music, too. I'm surprised you haven't already gotten into them."

Mike shrugged. "I try not to mix business with pleasure. Thought it might bias me too much to get hooked on it, but I'm curious as hell."

"What's it going to hurt for you to listen to some samples?" she pressed. She got out her phone and looked up a page on her browser, and then she shared the link to his phone. "There. I'll leave you to that and go turn in my latest evaluation reports. Hopefully this will be the last day Levi has to spend in lockup."

Mike nodded. "Hopefully."

* * *

"I don't know how the hell you pulled this one off," Levi announced to Erwin and Hange as he was escorted out of the agency holding ward to meet up with them in hallway. He rubbed his wrists absently as his cuffs were removed, and he held still while the guards secured a tracking device around his left ankle.

"I thought four-eyes was pulling my leg when she said my release was in the works," finished Levi. The anklet was going to be a pain in the ass, but it was a hell of a lot better than being cooped up in that holding area. A full two days had passed since she'd informed him that his release was being processed, but Levi hadn't taken it seriously because they hadn't allowed him any visitors other than his work associates since he'd recalled more details about his captivity and who was behind it.

"I wouldn't joke about something like that," Hange said. "I'm not _that_ bad, Levi."

"You understand the terms of this arrangement?" Erwin inquired softly, looking pleased with himself.

"Yeah. I'm under house arrest, I've got to check in every day with our superiors, I've got to have regular psych evaluations and I've got to report every detail I can remember as soon as it comes back to me. We're clear on that."

"What about the rest?" pressed Erwin, this time frowning a little.

Levi sighed. "And I've got to be restrained at night for Eren's safety. I get it."

"I'm sorry, Levi," Hange sighed. "I tried to get them to wave that part of the deal, but they said it's too soon in your recovery phase to take the risk. They'll deliver the bed to your house by tonight, and we spared no expense to ensure it's as comfortable as possible for you."

"At least I don't have to wear a fucking straight jacket in my own home," he muttered. "Does Eren know about this?"

"He's on his way here to pick you up," assured Erwin. "He should be here any moment."

No sooner did the blond say that then the security doors barring the holding wings off from the rest of the building buzzed, and Eren Jaeger came hurrying in past the guards. He stopped before Levi for a moment, looked him over and then smiled hugely at him. Levi was swept up in his partner's warm embrace before he could even attempt to say anything, and he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the taller man's aftershave, his nose pressing up against Eren's chest.

"You're smothering me, brat," mumbled Eren around a mouthful of the other man's shirt.

"Sorry." Eren eased off a little, and he cupped Levi's face. He lowered his mouth to the agent's for an extended kiss, ignoring their audience.

"I'll go on ahead and ensure that everything is in order while you collect your things to leave," offered Erwin. "Hange?"

"I've got his prescriptions ready to go," she assured. When Levi gave her a sour look, she quirked a brow. "You know the conditions, grump. Don't worry, I only prescribed the bare minimum required to meet those requirements. If you take it as advised, you should be able to function just fine throughout the day."

Levi tried to shrug it off. He was going home. His sleeping arrangements were going to suck for a while, but that was part of the reason for the night-time dosage they wanted him to take. He pulled out of Eren's embrace, and he went to claim the personal items they'd let him have during his time in lockup.

* * *

"That was easier than I expected," Eren said a while later as they drove away from headquarters. He fought a yawn. "I wore myself out worrying about how it would go down."

"Why, did you think I'd lose my shit again before we could get out the door?"

"No. It wasn't you I didn't trust. It was our luck." Eren put on his blinker and turned down the next street. "I kept expecting them to stop us and say something changed at the last minute, and then haul you back in. If that had happened, I'd have—"

"Hey, calm down," Levi advised. He put his hand over the one Eren had on the gear shift, and he gave it a squeeze. "We made it out the door. They've got the tracker on me, and they'll be sending some quack by every day to throw inkblots at me until they're satisfied I'm stable again. Let's mark this mission down as accomplished, shall we?"

Eren smiled, though it had a pained quality to it. "Yeah. I'm just feeling really protective of you. I hope that doesn't piss you off."

"Ordinarily, it might annoy me. This is an exception." Levi watched him quietly for a moment as he let that statement sink in. Sometimes he didn't really take into account how pissy he could be. All this guy had ever tried to do was be a good lover and make Levi happy. The captain struggled as usual to come up with the right words for him.

"Eren, do you feel I've opened up to you better since this shit started?"

Eren looked at him with surprise, and then he focused his attention back on the road. "Since we got you back, yeah. I'd never expect you to be an open book, but you've taken out a lot of the guesswork."

"I've tried." Levi put his sunglasses back on as the road curved and the light shone in his eyes. "I'm never gonna be good at it, but as long as you know I'm trying."

"I know you are." Eren smiled at him. He reached over to caress the smaller man's face. His bright eyes were warm and loving on him. "Do you want to stop somewhere to pick up dinner on the way home? I could call one of our favorite restaurants and order some takeout. By the time we hit town again, it should be ready to be picked up."

"Actually, I think I want to cook."

"You sure? We could get anything you want."

"I know. I'm sure. It'll give me a sense of normalcy back to prepare meals again. I kind of missed it while I was in there."

"Okay. We don't have much to work with because we've both been away for so long and I haven't done much grocery shopping, though. Want to stop and pick some up? As long as I stay on the route I gave the agency it should be fine to make a pitstop."

"Yeah, let's get some pasta shells and other shit," decided Levi. "I'm in the mood for stuffed ravioli."

Eren shot him a vaguely suspicious look. "That's one of my favorite dishes that you cook."

Levi smirked subtly. "I know. That's why I'm in the mood to make it, brat."

Eren grinned at him.

* * *

Levi almost got ran over by both of their dogs as soon as they entered the house. He'd been anticipating a hearty greeting, so he somehow maintained his balance. He left the basic dinner prep work to his husband, and he went out in the back with the dogs to play with them a little. Once they had their romp, he fed them dinner and took over in the kitchen.

Eren was sticking to him like glue, which made cooking a little awkward. Levi didn't mind, though. He usually didn't like Eren trying to love on him when he was preparing meals, but he'd missed him so much that he didn't lecture him or push him away. He nearly burned the sauce when Eren's soft neck kisses and embrace from behind distracted him, but Levi managed to salvage the situation.

They had red wine to go with the meal, a sweet Chianti to compliment the dish. Afterwards, they watched the evening news, and neither of them brought up the situation with Zeke and the remnants of the BRS and Satellite Core. There was no point to talking about it right now, when the agency didn't yet have mission approval to move in on them. Levi was almost as out of the loop right now as a civilian, truth be told. Whatever was in the works right now, they were keeping it hush-hush and on a strictly need to know basis.

The restraint bed arrived about an hour after they finished dinner, and Eren tried to have them put it in the master bedroom. Levi wouldn't have it, though.

"What are you doing?" Levi demanded, pulling his spouse off to the side. "That thing needs to go in one of the spare rooms."

"But why? You should at least be able to sleep in our bedroom, and there's enough space in there to fit it up against the back wall."

Levi sighed. "Eren, the whole point in me being strapped down at night is for your safety. That means a separate room that you lock every night after I'm secured, and you also lock our bedroom door for good measure."

Eren scowled. "Oh, come on! You haven't had any episodes since Hange got that thing out of your head. Plus, if you're in the same room as me you can wake me up faster if you need anything."

Levi held up the packaging containing the monitors that came with the bed. "That's what these things are for. If I need you, I can just push the alert button to wake you up and call for you."

"What if it slips out of your reach in the night and you need to piss or something?"

"Then I'll just have to hold my bladder or make a mess," snapped Levi tonelessly. "I'm serious. Until we know without any doubt that the danger has passed, I don't want to take any chances."

Eren could see the covert spark of frustration in Levi's eyes, and he dropped his voice again. "Okay. I just miss you, and it sucks to think I can't hold you at night even though you're back home again."

Levi glanced down the hall toward the foyer, where the delivery people waited with the un-assembled bed for instructions. "I don't like it either. We've just got to put up with it for a while."

"There's that look again," muttered Levi. He pulled Eren through the door into the master bedroom, and he cupped the back of his head to pull him down for a kiss. "Stop it. I'll be fine."

Eren checked a sigh. Irritating Levi with his "puppy eyes" wasn't going to help anything.

* * *

Eren stared down at his spouse after getting him secured in the restraints for the night, feeling hopelessly frustrated.

"What's the matter?" Levi asked. "It's not like you've never tied me up before."

Eren lowered his gaze unhappily. "This wasn't what I had in mind."

Levi breathed a sigh. "Look at me, Eren."

The singer obediently lifted his eyes from the bedding to meet the restrained agent's pale gaze. Levi spoke again in a whisper. "It's not going to be like this forever, remember? We've just got to keep that in mind."

Eren shrugged, his eyes flicking to the tough, padded restraints encircling Levi's wrists. His ankles were likewise restrained. It was almost the same setup they'd had Levi in when they first got him back, with straps that fit across the chest as well as the wrist and ankle restraints. They called it a "Humane restraint bed", and Eren supposed it was comfortable enough, because he'd tested it for himself to be sure it wouldn't cause his husband aches and pains.

"It shouldn't have to be like this at all."

Eren tugged the sheets up to cover Levi's body. He'd suggested the man sleep in a pair of pajamas instead of his briefs, as he worried the chest strap might chafe his skin at night. Levi dryly reminded him that he was used to straps, thanks to his proficiency with the ODM gear he'd perfected. "It isn't fair for you to have to sleep on this thing instead of in our own bed at night. I miss having you lying next to me."

"Eren, we've been through this." Levi lifted his head a bit off the pillow. "I can't sleep in our bed because I can't trust myself yet, and neither should you. I'm okay when I'm awake, but I can't be sure what I might do in my sleep. That's why they want me video monitored in my sleep for a while, 'till they're sure I won't try to do anything funny."

Eren winced. Levi recounting what it had been like for him to struggle against those implanted compulsions had sounded a lot like some of his own experiences as a titan shifter. To change into something unfamiliar to oneself, to get hammered by foreign thoughts and urges. In that at least, he could relate.

"You won't hurt me," whispered Eren. "You didn't hurt me before, and you had the perfect opportunity to do it."

He caressed his captain's beloved face, aching inside for what had been done to him. "You _did_ have some control over it, Levi. If you didn't, my throat would have probably been cut open in the ally that one night. Erwin would be dead right now too."

"All the same, I almost filleted you both." His head fell back against the pillow, and he closed his eyes. "The medication I took is starting to kick in. I should sleep well enough."

Eren stroked his hair, and he bent over him to kiss his forehead. "I'll let you rest, then. Don't be stubborn if you wake up needing something. I'll come right away if you need me."

"I'm sure you will." Levi relaxed against the pillow as Eren fluffed it for him attentively. "You don't have to baby me like this every night, Eren."

"I want you to be as comfortable as possible," insisted Eren. "Just because those maniacs fucked with your head doesn't mean you should have to suffer. It wasn't your fault, and if I ever get my hands on _any_ of them, I'll rip them apart."

"I believe you would," said Levi without hesitation. He stared up at the singer, his gaze softening on him. "Just try not to fuss so much. Most of the beds I slept in back during the titan wars were a lot less comfortable than this. Even my big bed in my private quarters had a lumpy mattress."

Eren smiled nostalgically at the reminder. Yes, bedding had come a long way since those days. "Remember when we got bed bugs in the barracks that time?"

"Tch. You kidding?" Levi made a disgusted face at the memory. "I still have nightmares about that. I'll bet sleeping in the dungeon didn't bother you too much then."

Eren chuckled. "Yeah, it was about the only time I felt grateful for that. How long did it take us to get rid of those things? A month?"

"A little longer than that. We finally ended up burning the mattresses and replacing them, if you recall."

Eren nodded. That was right. Levi had finally tossed his hands up, went to Erwin and demanded that they delve into the budget to replace them all, and all of the scouts sleeping in the barracks had to use the bedrolls they'd usually sleep on during expeditions in the meantime. His gaze went to the restraint on Levi's left wrist, and he took the agent's hand in his. He knew what it was like to be bound to his bed at night.

"Hey, it's probably a lot more comfortable than those chains you had to sleep in," remarked Levi, apparently guessing the direction of Eren's thoughts. "I've got it easy compared your old sleeping arrangements, so stop getting upset over it."

"I can't help it," sighed Eren. "I just wish there was something I could do besides tie you up at night and wait for the agency to come up with some answers."

"You're doing plenty," assured Levi. "Now give me one more goodnight kiss, brat."

Eren readily lowered his mouth to Levi's, leaning over his prone form. He kissed him softly and briefly, and then he kissed him again. It lingered further after that, and when the smaller man's lips parted, Eren caressed them with the tip of his tongue. Levi's tongue darted out to stroke his, and the next thing Eren knew, they were locked in a deep kiss that was anything but chaste. Levi hummed in approval, and Eren's boxers started to tent. Worried that he might let things go too far and take advantage of his husband's vulnerable state, Eren reluctantly broke the kiss, breathing heavily.

"Haven't had any tongue from you for a while, amongst other things," breathed Levi, staring up at him with a sultry look in his eyes. "That was nice."

Eren stared at him helplessly. Levi had that _look_ about him; the one that always let Eren know he had the green light to take it to the next level. "Levi, don't look at me that way," begged the singer, flushing. "You know what it does to me."

"I'm just looking at you, hot stuff," husked Levi. He shifted a little, straining slightly against his bonds. "I've got to admit, kissing you while tied up like this gets me worked up. Maybe we can put off turning on that video camera over there."

Eren gulped, and his gaze dropped immediately to his spouse's groin area. Sure enough, Levi was pitching a tent beneath the sheets Eren had covered him up with. Eren felt conflicted, and he hesitated. He looked over at the mentioned video camera they'd set up in the corner of the room to record Levi's sleep patterns. He _almost_ went for it.

"Levi, this isn't a bondage play situation," Eren reminded him. "If you'd bought this bed for the sake of some kinky play, it would be different. Even the video camera would be fun if it was just for us, but..."

"But you aren't sure I'm in a tight enough frame of mind to know what I'm asking for," finished Levi for him. "I get that. I'm not being influenced though, Eren. This is _me_ talking to you right now, not that thing I turned into when I got triggered."

"Yeah, but you said yourself the medication is kicking in."

"Tch. Rejection, huh?"

"Not...exactly." Eren bit his lip, confused over how he should handle this. "I'm sorry. It's not out of a lack of interest. It's just the situation."

"Yeah, it's pretty fucked up," sighed Levi. He closed his eyes again, and his head lolled to one side. He started to mumble, his words slurring a little as the medication took greater effect. "Not like I could do much more than...lay here anyway..."

Eren brushed his thumbs over the dark fringe of Levi's eyelashes. Damn, he missed having sex with him. At least he was home again, though. Baser physical needs could wait for after they got settled back in and things were stabilized. "Love you, Captain. I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

The morning came as a blessed relief for both of them. Eren got up immediately when his monitor went off, and he went straight to the bedroom Levi was in to let him out of his restraints and turn off the video monitoring camera. Levi bore the look of a decidedly uncomfortable and bored person. Even having been medicated, he awoke before Eren. The singer went to his spouse's side right away, his fingers quickly working open the fastenings of the restraints.

"Don't even say 'good morning'," groused Levi.

Eren nodded, not pausing in his efforts. "I wouldn't. I can tell you had a rough night."

"Kept wanting to roll onto my stomach," grunted Levi, sitting up and rubbing his wrists once the top of his body was freed. "I didn't realize how much I sleep in that position until now."

"Um, maybe we could try putting the restraints on you that way tonight? I mean, you could lie on your stomach instead of your back."

"No good. I can't fold my arms under my head to cushion it when I'm tied down like that. I'd probably fucking smother myself in the pillow."

Eren kept his gaze lowered as he helped Levi out of the ankle restraints. "Maybe I could find one of those pillows with the holes in the center, like on a massage table. There's got to be something we can do to make your nights more comfortable."

"I've just got to get used to being flat on my back for a while." Levi stretched, and he got off the bed to shake off his sleep. "What I really want right now is S.S.S."

Still not quite awake, Eren boggled.

"Shit, shower and shave," clarified Levi dryly. "You should know that by now."

"Oh, right." Eren got up too, and he helped Levi straighten up the bedding. "I could get some coffee ready while you do that."

Levi paused in the act of stretching again, and he looked Eren up and down. He stepped closer, and he sifted his fingers through the singer's bed-mussed brown locks. He didn't say anything for a moment. Just stared at him with those piercing, heavy-lidded eyes. Finally, he took a slow breath and he spoke in that low, sensual tone that always made Eren's pulse race.

"Coffee would be good for afterwards, but I fully expect you to join me in that shower, Jaeger."

Eren stared back at him, unable to look away. He doubted Levi's presence would ever stop having such a powerful effect on him. "Yes sir."

"Mm, good answer, soldier." Levi gave Eren's bottom a little squeeze through the material of his briefs, then he gave it a little smack. "Heh. Horny little bastard. You've already got a hard-on."

Eren chose to turn Levi's earlier statement around on him. "You already knew that."

"I was counting on it, too. I'd have had a case of blue balls last night, if I weren't doped up."

Eren flushed, reminded of how he'd taken care of his own sexual frustration after going to bed in a way that Levi couldn't, bound as the agent had been. "I'll make up for that. In fact, I'm _damned_ ready to make up for that."

"Then feed the dogs and get the coffee started while I take care of those first two needs I mentioned," suggested Levi. "Then we can both make up for lost time."

"Absolutely."

Eren gave him a kiss, another admiring stare, and then he left to do as Levi suggested. After setting up the coffee maker, feeding the dogs and letting them out back, he went into the main bathroom to brush his teeth. He could hear Levi in the bathroom connecting to the master bedroom, and his excitement grew—amongst other things.

* * *

Levi was already in the shower when Eren came into the bathroom to join him. The agent looked through the steamy glass at his spouse, pausing in lathering his chest to watch Eren. He swiped a hand over the shower glass to try and get a better view, and his groin went from half to full mast rather quickly at the sight of that tanned body being laid bare for him. At once, Levi's mouth became a little dry, and when Eren opened the shower door to step in with him, all he could do was stare up at him. The mist from the shower started to sparkle in Eren's shoulder-length hair, and Levi was more convinced than ever that he should keep it that length.

Eren stared back at him, and then the singer reached out slowly to trace Levi's chest with exploring fingertips. The peridot eyes branded with their heat as they examined Levi, growing brighter by the moment. Eren made a low sound in his throat, his brows forking a bit as if in pain.

"Goddamn." His voice was almost rough. He looked like he wanted to devour Levi. "How do you do it?"

Levi's brain had evidently gone mushy, even without him having taken his first medication dose of the day. He misunderstood.

"So what's this, you're the virgin and I'm popping your cherry?"

"Huh?" The intensity in Eren's gaze softened a bit with confusion.

"You asked how to do it."

"Oh, I meant...how do you look so hot all the time?" Eren grinned at him. "No wonder it's so steamy in here."

Levi couldn't stop staring at him, and a his face was heating up with a flush of passion. He was also feeling stupidly shy under that stare, and he could only blame it on their period of forced celibacy. Even when Eren's music career separated them for a time, they'd always interacted through the phone or computer network together to make up for it, or Levi would fly somewhere to meet up with Eren for a day or two with him. This situation had kept them apart— _truly_ apart—for longer than they'd been separated since getting involved in this life.

It put an interesting perspective on it. Levi couldn't say it felt like their first time again, because neither of them had been particularly hesitant or shy about it during their first encounters in either life. He couldn't put his finger on it right away, but then as Eren embraced him, Levi thought he had it figured out. It wasn't just their time apart from each other, and it sure as hell wasn't because he wasn't feeling the moment. The problem was himself, not Eren.

"Are you okay?" Eren's lust seemed to cool slightly as he realized Levi was silent and hesitant. "You're blushing awfully hard, Captain."

"I'm fine," insisted Levi.

He combed his damp bangs back from his eyes, and he reminded himself that this was his shitty brat, and he knew better than anyone alive or dead how to push Eren's buttons. He bulldozed his uncertainty to the background, and he treated this like another battle he had to fight and win. He was no meek, indecisive pacifist, and he never had been.

Levi grabbed the back of Eren's hair, his fingers twisting into the rich brown locks to yank the taller man's head down for an aggressive kiss. Eren was surprised by the sudden change in him, and he mumbled a little as he braced himself against the shower panel by the door to keep from slipping. Their teeth scraped together in the open-mouthed kiss, and Levi shoved his tongue in with a little growl.

Levi gentled the kiss after a moment when Eren got over his surprise and started reciprocating. He made himself back off a little. There was no need to maul Eren to prove to himself that he could push past this.

_~I'm still Levi. He's still Eren. Doesn't matter what they fucking do to me; that isn't gonna change.~_

Eren must have sensed his desperation, if not the reason for it. His mouth softened against Levi's, and his hands stroked the smaller man's back. Calloused fingers traced patterns and whorls over Levi's damp skin. Eren pressed more firmly up against him. The hard musculature of his taller form aligned just right with Levi's, and his arousal pressed against the agent's lower abdomen, cradled between their bodies. Levi withdrew his tongue from Eren's mouth, flicking it against his invitingly to silently invite him to take over the kiss. Eren obliged, and his thigh brushed deliberately against Levi's groin.

Soon their roles were reversed, and Levi was the one getting pressed up against the wall. He didn't mind that. It was familiar and exciting...also oddly comforting to him. His husband was one person he could give himself to completely without ever worrying about losing himself in the process. One of Eren's hands circled around from his back to slip between their torsos and explore Levi's front. The agent groaned as Eren's thumb circled a nipple, flicked it gently, then did the same to the other one.

Levi reached between them as well, pushing his hand downwards so that he could grip Eren's stiff, warm length. He stroked it from root to tip, and the last of his uncertainty faded when the singer rocked into his touch and murmured his name. Eren's free hand roved down over Levi's hip and thigh, and he cupped the back of the latter. Levi raised his leg in response to the subtle suggestion, curving it around behind Eren's hips to pull him even closer. The slick tiles dug into Levi's back as he was pressed harder against them. He sucked on Eren's tongue, rubbing against him with increasing vigor.

Now it was Eren that began to show some desperation. He disconnected his lips from Levi's, and he bent his legs to kiss his way down the smaller man's neck to his shoulders. His mouth latched onto the skin where Levi's right shoulder met his neck, and he sucked the spot until it bruised.

"Hey, what do I keep saying about marking visible spots?" Levi intoned breathlessly.

Eren smirked against his shoulder, and he licked the spot before lowering himself further to leave more love-marks on him. "It's not going to be visible if you don't wear something off the shoulder or open-chested."

Eren's mouth latched onto a nipple, making a thrill shoot through Levi that made his toes curl. Sufficiently distracted by the action, Levi had no rebuttal. He stroked Eren faster, felt the man's breath quicken against the pebbled bud Eren was pleasuring.

"Turn around, sexy," urged Eren after licking and sucking Levi's nipples for a few moments.

Guessing what was coming, Levi did as he was asked, and he parted his legs when Eren gently nudged his right ankle. The singer spoke into his ear as Eren reached for the lube they kept on the toiletry ledge.

"I'm trying not to rush it," Eren said, his breath tickling Levi's ear. "Am I going too fast for you?"

"No."

Levi turned his head to crush his mouth against Eren's, leaving his answer simple and direct. He closed his eyes and listened to his spouse's heavy breathing as Eren's fingers sought out their goal, slick with a generous application of gel. He rubbed around the entrance with his thumb, while pushing his first finger in. The breach made Levi's breath catch. He bore down to make it easier, and soon he was filled to the singer's knuckle. Eren kissed the side of Levi's throat as he started to move, working him open with patience neither of them particularly felt.

"Tight," observed Eren.

"Yeah, well nothing's been in there since that video call we had when I fucked myself with that dildo."

"Oh yeah. Damn, no wonder." Eren slowed down, and he embraced him with his other arm. "I'm never letting anyone take you from me again."

It was a sweet sentiment, especially when they were both so desperate to slake their lust. Levi turned his head again for a kiss, and he put a hand over the forearm resting across his torso. It felt like it took longer than it actually did to prepare him, and by the time Eren was lining up to give Levi his cock, the agent was biting back impatient profanities. The water was losing its heat, but by now, they were both so into each other and the feel of being joined again that they didn't notice it much.

Levi folded an arm over the tiles, and he rested his forehead against it. He reached out with his other hand and splayed his fingers wide, spreading his legs further as Eren angled his hips to give him more. He couldn't hold back his low cries as his companion started pumping, and Levi used his inner muscles to enhance Eren's experience. He pushed back against the taller man once he'd synchronized with Eren's motions, urging him on. His hand slipped at one point, squeaking across the tiles. Levi shuddered as Eren started stroking him off, and the smack of skin on skin rang in his ears acoustically, thanks to the enclosed space they were in.

Eren started moaning tellingly, and he tried to pause to regain self-control. Levi wouldn't let him. He drove himself back onto the singer's cock with enthusiasm, keeping things moving even when Eren went still.

"Levi," groaned Eren. "I'm...I can't hold it!"

"So don't," grunted the smaller man unapologetically.

"B-but I want...want you to...hah!" Eren's stroking hand moved faster along Levi's shaft.

"I will," promised Levi breathlessly. He clenched his teeth. Building, building...every nudge of Eren's dick sent a jolt through him. He growled like a beast as he peaked, and he felt Eren buck inside of him seconds after Levi's cum struck the shower wall. Eren's weight got a little heavier as he slumped over Levi from behind, panting raggedly. His stroking slowed and ceased, and he embraced the agent with both arms and hugged him from behind.

"Captain," purred Eren after a moment of gathering his wits. He nuzzled Levi's soaked hair, and he smiled against his temple.

Levi couldn't immediately find his voice. That orgasm had been intense. Of course, he hadn't had the opportunity to see to his own sexual needs much in their time apart, unlike Eren. It was kind of hard to get yourself off when you had people constantly monitoring you. He was pretty sure he'd rubbed one out in the shower a couple of times while he was under enemy control, but that was about it.

"I fucking needed that," he finally stated. "Water's getting cold, though. We should finish up and get dressed."

"Yeah," sighed Eren, "but I want to do that again before bed, if you're in the mood for it later."

Levi almost said that he was sure he would be, but then he remembered he had a psych appointment between lunch and dinner, and would have one every day around that time until his organization was satisfied that he was no longer compromised.

"We'll see how I feel after talking to the shrink, but let's put a pin in that."

* * *

-To be continued


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note:** This version of this chapter has been censored to comply with FFnet's rating limitations. You can read the uncensored version at Archive Of Our Own._

* * *

Day to day, Levi put up with the questions, the prodding, the phone calls and of course, the constraints of his arrangement. He was allowed to get special permission to go out for a couple of hours now and then; mostly for shopping purposes. Mike managed to get him a pass to go and see Eren's band play live at a local festival one afternoon.

Other than that, he had to be content with being limited to his own property, and Eren couldn't always be around due to his career obligations. Not that Levi had turned into a social bunny at all, but there were times when Eren was out and he had no company to expect that Levi was grateful for the companionship of the dogs. Sometimes his friends and co-workers would visit—namely Isabel, Farlan and Hange. Madeline would come over as well every couple of days to visit with him, and she always called and asked if there was anything he needed her to pick up on the way.

He knew that he was being watched at all times, of course, and not just through camera monitoring when he was sleeping at night. Levi didn't get to speak much with Mike or Erwin, as both of them were tied up in business they couldn't even discuss with him. Hange did provide him with some helpful news a week after Levi's return home. She came over to have lunch with him, and she informed him that two of the hostiles they'd captured on the night they caught him had cracked and given them something.

"I don't know if you can confirm this or not, but these agents claim they were there with you as insurance; both as your backup and to ensure you returned to your 'base', whether you succeeded or not."

Levi frowned slid Hange's mimosa over the island bar counter to her. "Got any names for me?"

She nodded, and she reached into her cardigan pocket to produce her smart phone. She fiddled with it for a moment, and then she handed the device over to him so that he could read the names listed in the notes. "Ring any bells?"

Levi frowned, and he shook his head. "Probably aliases, at any rate. I don't suppose you can give me any details on what else they said besides their involvement with me?"

"Sorry, Levi. That part's classified, for now. I only know a little myself. It seems Intelligence is keeping most of it under wraps until they've got everything they need to sanction a mission plan. What I _can_ tell you is that there haven't been any recent incidents that I'm aware of since they brought you in. I can't shake the feeling that you were the antagonists primary "testing platform", and they're building up for something much larger."

"They wanted to use me to get certain people out of the way before making any big moves," agreed Levi. He gave the phone back to Hange. "And they wanted Eren. Zeke wants him, anyway."

"Right." She pocketed her phone and had another sip of her coffee. "The question is for what? Zeke's been really careful about sticking to the shadows and avoiding discovery. Obviously, he somehow retained his memories of the previous life. He knew some of us involved in the UFI used to be in Survey Corps. That means he knew there was a chance we might remember him. I have to wonder if Rod Reiss was really just his pawn all along in that conflict with the BRS and Satellite Core."

"Well, he screwed with Kenny's head too, and my uncle was working on their side for a while."

Levi paused as a thought came to him. "The coordinate. He was always after it, and that was what Reiss was after, too. I think Zeke was using me to get to Eren for that reason. He could want to finish what Reiss started."

"Global domination through use of slave titans and the coordinate, you mean?" Hange grimaced. "I wouldn't put it past him. In the past, he was working for a government system. This could all be part of some conspiracy involving a foreign super power."

"Shit, like we need history to repeat itself," sighed Levi. "I've had enough of fucking titans."

"Me too."

He stared at her.

"What?" Hange spread her hands. "Do you think I want another 'Titan Drop' operation to happen?"

"I'm just having a hard time believing you're sick of titans, given how obsessed you used to be with them."

"Look, shorty, my obsession with the titans in those days was based on scientific discovery. We _needed_ to learn more about them, and nobody knew where the hell they came from. Nobody even knew how to kill them until advancements in ODM technology were made."

Hange turned her mug around in her hands, and she stared into the depths with a frown. "I wanted to understand them, yes. I also suspected they sprang from the same origins as us, but to confirm that, it was imperative to study them. I know I treated them like pets...even like my children sometimes, in the case of my specimens."

She looked up from her mug and held his gaze, her wine-colored eyes somber. "But I did it all for science. Now we have all of those answers, and I would be happy to never see another person devoured alive by a titan again. I might have a morbid curiosity, but I'm not as crazy as some people think."

"Yeah you are." He shot her a subtle smirk when she huffed at him. "But you're not unhinged. There's always a method to your madness, even if the rest of us have trouble seeing it."

She relaxed under that observation, and she flushed a little with pleasure.

The timer dinged, and Levi excused himself to check on the toasted sandwiches he was making for their lunch. "Looks like it's ready. Want something besides mimosa and coffee to drink?"

"These will be fine."

Levi plated up the hot sandwiches, and he poured himself some more tea before joining her at the bar to eat. "Two-fisting coffee and alcohol." Levi shook his head, and he cut his sandwich in half. "Real healthy, four-eyes."

"Hey, it's after noon," she defended, and she deliberately took another swallow of her wine mix drink. "You're not my boyfriend."

"No, but I'll bet he has some complaints about it too." Levi shrugged, and he took his first bite of his lunch. Satisfied that it had turned out okay, he wiped his mouth and had a sip of his tea.

"Hah. Moblit has the same coping system as me." Hange snapped her fingers. "So there. We're both overworked and high-strung. He isn't going to be a hypocrite and say anything about my drinking habits."

"Well then _I_ will...to you both." Levi pulled open his sandwich to sprinkle some black pepper onto it. "Watch your step with that. We can't have both of you turning into alcoholics, can we? Don't give me that shit about the caffeine balancing out the booze intake, either. I've heard it before."

Hange snorted into her coffee mug in mid-sip, and she quirked a brow at him. "Have I used that one before? I can't remember."

Levi nodded. Yeah. I got onto you over the same thing once shortly after Preacher Nick's demise in the past life. You were getting pretty deep in your cups."

She sighed, her amusement fading. "Nick. I know he was a bit of a pill, but I liked that old zealot."

"You never know. Maybe you'll run into him again, some day."

"I'm not so sure about that," she sighed. "I have a feeling that only people who had a major part in our history got reincarnated. Have you noticed that?"

"Yeah, but it's a big world." Levi shrugged. "Maybe we were all just drawn together because of our connection. There could be dozens more from our past life out there somewhere that we just haven't happened across yet. Bertolt hasn't shown up. Neither has Oluo, some of the kids from the 104th or some of our other SC comrades. They could be out there, but they just haven't flocked to the same areas as we have."

"Hmm, you're unusually optimistic today," observed Hange. She took a small bite of her sandwich, and she partly chewed it before pocketing it against her inner cheek to speak again. "What's provoked this attitude?"

Levi glanced at her narrowly. "Don't talk with your mouth full, slob. As for my attitude; I don't consider it optimism so much as pragmatism. Seems reasonable to me that more of us might be out there, and I'm not arrogant enough to think otherwise just because I haven't seen 'em yet. If fate would bring back a piece of shit like Reiss, Zeke and my uncle, why not others?"

"I suppose you have a point." Hange finished chewing and swallowing. "But keep it in mind that your 'piece of shit' uncle was the one that fished you out of the harbor. He saved your life, grump. He's not as bad as you think."

"You keep defending him like that, and you were the first one to suggest we toss him out of the chopper when we were escaping the exo station. What's with you and making friends out of enemies? You've got a knack for that."

Hange laughed softly, and she nodded. "I suppose you're right. You were one example. I guess I just have a singularly inquisitive mind, and once someone shows me they're worth something, I can revise my opinion of them. The point is, there's more between you two than bad blood. Maybe you should give Kenny a call sometime. You boys could have a rapport in this life that you never had in the last. Put the past behind you. You and Kenny have a second chance to be uncle and nephew, and since he's the only blood family you have left, that might be worth something."

Levi stared down at his plate quietly. "I'll consider your suggestion. No promises, though."

"That's a start." She peered at him thoughtfully. "He's asked about you a few times, you know. He came to see you a couple of times while you were still unconscious from the surgery, too."

"Nobody told me shit."

Hange shrugged. "Everyone figured it was news you wouldn't care to hear about. You had more important things on your mind. In any case, I thought I should mention it to you. Food for thought."

Levi sighed. "Speaking of food; eat yours before it gets cold."

She chuckled and resumed eating. Levi did the same, and companionable silence replaced verbal conversation for a while. A few pieces of thin-sliced red onion had fallen out of his sandwich onto his plate, and he stared at the concentric circle patter they'd formed. He kept staring, and his brows pinched as they invoked something familiar to him. Hange started to chatter again, and he shushed her irritably to avoid getting distracted.

"What is it, Levi?" Hange asked in a softer tone of voice, seeing the concentration on his face.

He didn't answer immediately. As he peered down at the bits of food on his plate, things started coming back to him that had been dim and foggy before. It was like someone flipped on a light switch, it came to him so suddenly. Levi got up without a word, and he went into the living room to the desk where he and Eren kept all of their paperwork and printing paper. He snatched up a few pieces of the latter, retrieved a pen and a ruler, and went back to the island bar in the kitchen. As Hange watched with puzzled interest, he began to draw out a schematic by memory.

"Levi?"

"Shh, I'm concentrating." Indeed, he was unconsciously poking the tip of his tongue out the corner of his mouth as he outlined the interior of the facility he'd been kept in by the enemy. "It just hit me. I remember the layout all the sudden, and I want to get it on paper while it's still fresh in my mind."

"Oh. That's great, Levi!" Hange quieted when he shot her a quick glare, pinching her mouth shut to avoid saying more and spoiling his concentration. She watched closely as Levi continued mapping out the interior of the facility with as much precision as possible. He was certainly no artist, but he was no stranger at drawing conceptual pieces and basic schematics.

He labeled areas as he went along, and he drew arrows pointing to spots that could be used to advantage to breach the interior. Honestly, the UFI would have an easier time infiltrating the place with Levi in the strike team acting as a guide, but he doubted they would be easily convinced to include him in the upcoming operation. Neither could they afford to put it off until they were completely satisfied that he was free of hostile manipulation.

"This is the best I can do," he muttered at last, finishing up. He slid the two maps he'd drawn across the surface of the island bar to Hange. "You'd better finish up your meal and take this to Mike or Erwin prompto, four-eyes. They're going to need this information if they plan to move in on Zeke and his cronies."

She nodded, and she scarfed down the rest of her sandwich and beverages. "I'll put this away in my briefcase and get going, then. Thanks for lunch, Levi. Sorry to eat and run on you."

"This is more important than us having a long visit," he insisted, shooing her. "Get moving."

"Roger that." Hange got up, taking the schematic drawings with her. "Maybe this will convince them to lift the observation on you, or at least loosen up some of the restrictions."

"We can hope. I just want them to take care of this bastard before he makes another move."

Levi walked her to the front door, and he checked a sigh when he opened it for Hange and saw a handful of paparazzi standing at his properties gate, waiting for the chance to take photos of him or Eren. The immediate click of their cameras upon seeing the door open grated on Levi's nerves like nails raked over a chalkboard. He put up with it as he always did, but there were days when he wished his husband wasn't a celebrity. Eren was happy with his career though, and Levi wouldn't dream of asking him to retire until he was good and ready to.

* * *

A few hours later, Erwin and Mike presented Levi's schematics to the agency's committee.

"As you can see, he didn't spare any detail," announced Erwin as his superiors looked over the drawings. "With this information, we could move the operation forward with fewer risks. I would suggest we expedite the mission at earliest convenience. We've already given the opposition too much time to plan another move against us, as it is."

"The problem is that we can't be 100 percent positive that this is an accurate depiction of the grounds," one of the board members stated cautiously. "There is a possibility that this is a trap, whether purposely orchestrated by Agent Ackerman or not."

Erwin exchanged a glance with Mike before answering, his jaw tensing briefly. He could see by the look in his companion's eyes that Mike was just as exasperated with the agency's continued doubts against Levi as he was. They didn't know the man the way Mike and Erwin did, though. They didn't have the back-history the two blonds shared with the captain, didn't know better than to question Levi's integrity this way. Erwin couldn't really blame them for their caution, but it was damned offensive to him, all the same.

"I can personally assure you that Agent Ackerman is no longer a liability," stated Erwin as patiently as possible. "He's been cooperating as requested, and his evaluations thus far have confirmed that he's of sound mind and body. I understand the need for thoroughness, but I ask that you trust mine and my colleagues' judgment in this matter."

Mike nodded, folding his arms over his chest with a grunt. He didn't offer any verbal support, but his stance and body language showed that he agreed with everything Erwin just said. The board members chatted softly amongst themselves, clearly torn on the matter.

"What is your suggestion, Agent Smith?" a woman in the group asked him at last. "This could result in a major security breach if we take your word for it and it turns out you're wrong."

"I understand the risks," he assured, "and I would not be pushing for this if I weren't completely confident about this. Agent Zacharius and I have worked with Levi for years now, and he's earned our trust."

"That's right," agreed Mike softly. "Levi might have been compromised for a little while, but I agree with Erwin; he's not a risk anymore and he's our best chance of conducting a smooth operation."

"So you're both suggesting that Agent Ackerman be involved in the operation to take down these BRS remnants?"

"He's been in their facility and he knows the layout," reminded Erwin. "I don't believe for a second that this is some attempt to misguide us. I truly believe Levi has regained full autonomy and can be counted on to assist in this matter to the best of his abilities. I'm willing to take full responsibility for any complications that arise from this, should you agree to lift his probation and allow him to participate."

"We will discuss the matter and inform you of our decision," said the leader of the group. "Until then, you and Agent Zacharius are dismissed."

Erwin gave a sharp nod of acknowledgement, and he and Mike left the meeting room together. Once they were out in the hall, Erwin released the sigh of frustration he'd been holding in. It wasn't just that he personally loved and admired Levi Ackerman; though that did have an influence on his determination to see the restrictions on him lifted. He knew from years of experience he couldn't even reveal how trustworthy Levi was as an ally, regardless of recent events.

"Some days, I wish I could just come right out and say the truth," he confessed softly to his taller companion. "I want to shout it at people and laugh in their faces for suspecting Levi of being anything less than completely devoted to our cause. It would be so much easier if I could share our past life experiences with these people and lay their concerns to rest."

"Would it?" Mike glanced at him. "Be easier, I mean. You'd end up landing yourself under observation and psych evaluation if you went to the higher-ups with stories about our past as an elite titan-slaying regiment. Too bad most of that history got lost between then and now."

"True. It wouldn't be to my best advantage to try and convince the board that I was once the high commander of a military branch that no longer exists. Even with the Titan Drop incident last year, I doubt they would take me seriously." Erwin smirked. "Thank you for reminding me of that. I just get so frustrated by all of these road blocks. Who knows what Zeke has been plotting while we've been sitting here with our hands tied?"

"Whatever it is, he hasn't made another move yet."

"Biding his time for the right moment, no doubt." Erwin checked his phone messages, and he saw that he had a missed call from Madeline. "Please excuse me; I should call my girlfriend back before she gets impatient. We're supposed to have dinner with Eren and Levi tonight at their place, and she must have tried calling me to confirm it while we were in the meeting."

"Go ahead. How are things going between you two, anyhow?"

Knowing it wasn't like him to date someone exclusively for as long as he'd been with Madeline, Erwin couldn't blame his friend for his curiosity. He wasn't known for settling down with one person in either lifetime.

"We're still going strong." Erwin smiled. "I think her son has mixed feelings about it, and Levi still expresses some discomfort with it, but Madeline and I are very fond of each other. In fact, I...never mind."

Erwin flushed as Mike cocked his head and sniffed inquisitively. The bigger man didn't ask further questions, but he surely could sense Erwin's quiet anxiety. Seeing as he still wasn't sure he would go through with the notions that had been creeping into his mind, Erwin didn't expand further. Mike was his closest friend and if he could talk to anyone about his thoughts, he was it. The problem wasn't with trust between them, but trust in his own judgment.

"Nothing wrong with committing to someone," offered Mike in his stoic, quiet way. So he _did_ guess the direction of Erwin's thoughts.

"Yes, but I'm woefully out of practice with such things, and let's face it: I've never been the most faithful lover, even to those I care for the most."

Mike patted Erwin's shoulder. "Times are different. Don't live in the past, chief." He grinned subtly. "So do you have a ring yet?"

"Fuck, how do you _do_ that?" Erwin didn't bother concealing his amazement or minding his language. Even though Mike knew him better than even Levi did, it still surprised him when the man read him so effortlessly where others were left guessing. "Am I really that obvious?"

Mike shrugged. "Only to me. It was a shot in the dark, to be honest." He smirked. "You're seriously thinking about it, though?"

Erwin stuck his hands in his trouser pockets, frowning uncertainly. "The thought has occurred to me, but I have concerns. Letting go of the past is good in theory, but difficult in practice. I can't stop thinking of how I treated Levi, and he meant more to me than any other love interest I'd ever had. If I couldn't give _him_ the attention and love he deserved, how can I be sure it will be any different with Madeline? What sort of a husband would I make?"

"The kind that thinks before he acts," suggested Mike without hesitation. "Look, Erwin, the fact that you've been exclusive with her for this long proves you aren't falling back on old habits. If your concern that you can't be committed enough is the only thing holding you back, you're not doing yourself or her any favors."

Erwin checked a sigh. "Maybe I'm just making excuses to procrastinate. I do still harbor a fear of commitment, even though I have no reason in this life to feel that way."

"Guess old habits die hard." Mike checked his watch. "At least you've been thinking about it, and that's proof to me you're not as phobic of commitment as you think. Speaking of girlfriends, I've got to meet up with Nanaba soon. I'd better get going."

"All right. Thank you for the advice." Erwin retrieved his mobile phone, and he searched through his contacts for Madeline's number.

* * *

That evening, Erwin and Madeline went to the Jaeger-Ackerman home to have a family dinner. Madeline brought apple pie for dessert, and Levi cooked duck a l'orange for the entree. Eren made the dinner rolls and somehow, he managed to avoid burning them. They all sat down at the table and Erwin filled everyone's glasses with the Chardonnay he'd brought to accompany the meal.

"Levi, how are you doing?" Madeline asked her son in law as she cut into her meat. "Have you been going stir crazy, cooped up in this house all the time?"

He shrugged. "It's not too bad. It'd be worse if I were a more outgoing person. They let me leave the house under some circumstances, so I'm not completely stuck here all the time."

"Well, hopefully you won't have to put up with this for much longer," said Erwin. He spooned up some of the sauce from the bowl on the side of his dish, and he dribbled it over his duck meat. "Mike and I spoke with the higher ups about the possibility of having your probation lifted. You may even be able to resume your regular duties before long."

Levi didn't dare hope it would be so easy. "If you say so, chief. I'm not holding my breath, though."

Eren regarded the blond agent a bit warily, and he hesitated before speaking. "I know you can't give us any details, but are they at least thinking about moving in on those guys that did all this?"

"Of course they are," assured Erwin. "There are obstacles to get out of the way first, however. We're doing our best to hasten progress, but I'm afraid it's going to take a bit longer than we'd hoped. That's all I can share with you on the matter."

Eren sighed. "I just don't want them to get the chance to have another go at Levi. How's Kenny doing, or do you know?"

"We have people keeping an eye on Kenny, just in case the opposition has further interest in him. So far, it seems their primary goal was in recruiting Levi, and we still aren't sure of their motivation behind doing so."

Eren parted his lips to say something else, and Levi gently nudged him beneath the table with his foot, nodding briefly but meaningfully at Madeline. There were certain things they shouldn't try to discuss in front of Eren's mother—namely things that involved their past lives. Levi had the feeling Eren was about to mention Zeke, and by the way the singer immediately closed his mouth, his hunch was right.

"Well, I'm just happy that Levi is safe now," Madeline offered, smiling at the raven-haired agent. "I was worried sick when I found out what happened. After that, I don't think you can be too careful."

"There's no way I'll let those bastards get their hands on me again," stated Levi bluntly. "I won't make the mistake of getting careless again and leaving myself open."

Silence weighed heavily at the table, and Madeline looked distinctly uncomfortable. She broke the quiet after a moment's thought, reaching across the table to give Levi's nearest hand a squeeze. "You expect too much of yourself, you know. What happened to you could have happened to anyone, Levi. Please stop badgering yourself over it."

Eren nodded, looking between his mother and his husband. "She's right. Listen to Mom. You've been beating the shit out of yourself over this since it all started."

Erwin set his fork down, and he wiped his lips with his napkin. "I don't think there's a single agent that could have faired any better under the circumstances. The fact that the enemy was able to lay hands on you of all people at all just speaks for their craftiness."

Levi compressed his lips, ready to argue. He couldn't come up with a decent rebuttal, though. The simple truth was that his pride was still wounded from the ordeal. He _did_ tend to elevate himself above others, because he was and always had been a perfectionist. Frankly, it was embarrassing that he'd fallen into Zeke's trap.

"I could have killed you, Erwin. I put everyone at risk."

"Yes, you could have killed me. You very nearly did." Erwin smirked, and there was a forgiving warmth in his blue eyes. "It wouldn't have been the first time, my friend. However, you stayed your hand, and my trust in you hasn't diminished."

Erwin gave a little start as his phone vibrated in his pocket, and whatever else he might have said got interrupted. He retrieved the device and he checked the text message sent to him. A smile grew on his handsome features. "Ah, it's Mike. Good news, Levi: you won't need to sleep in restraints any longer. The higher-ups have gotten back to Mike, and your restrictions are being partially lifted."

Levi wasn't sure how to feel about that. He looked askew at Eren, and he debated himself. Perhaps his superiors felt comfortable enough to allow him a normal night's sleep, but he himself had his doubts. Eren was grinning happily, though. Levi didn't have the heart to contradict the verdict...not right now.

"That's good to know," he said softly. He forked up a bite of food, though he had a poor appetite. In truth, he feared his meal would go sour in his stomach. Shoving back his misgivings, Levi had another bite of the dinner he'd prepared. It tasted good; the syrup had come out just right. The last time he'd tried his hand at cooking this dish, he'd burned the sauce slightly.

"Levi, you're sweating it," Madeline noted keenly. "Don't, honey. You've said yourself that you haven't had any further episodes, and you can't spend the rest of your life in restraints. It's time to get your life back."

Levi managed the smallest hint of a smile for her. Bless Madeline for her unbending sense of loyalty and support; he didn't think he could ask for more if she were his mother by blood. Being awkward at best with social interactions, he didn't speak his appreciation aloud. He did, however, give the hand she was holding his with a little squeeze of gratitude.

"It's a work in progress," he muttered.

* * *

"Man, I am stuffed," Eren groaned later that evening as he sprawled on his back on their bed. Erwin and Madeline left after having dessert and a coffee, and he felt like he could pop. His mother's apple pie was fantastic as usual, but Eren had indulged in a larger slice of it than he should have. By the little grimace on Levi's face, the agent wasn't fairing much better.

"Your eyes were bigger than your stomach too, huh?" Eren grinned at his spouse, watching him with quiet admiration as Levi unbuttoned his shirt.

Levi rubbed his exposed stomach, and he covered his mouth with his free hand to mask a burp. "I have no fucking self-restraint when it comes to Mads' pie. I don't know what her secret is, but I could live on that shit. Erwin better watch it, or he's gonna turn into a fatass before he knows it."

Eren laughed outright at that. The thought of Erwin Smith turning into a pudge was too amusing not to snicker at. He couldn't really see it happening, but with his mothers' baking skills, it probably wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Maybe if his mother fattened Erwin up some, Eren could finally be rid of that nagging, lingering sense of jealousy he still harbored for the man.

"What are you grinning about?" Levi tossed his shirt in the hamper basket, and he started undoing his pants. "You've got that sneaky grin on your face that you get when you're up to something."

Eren's smirk faded, and he blinked at his partner. "I have a sneaky grin?"

"Only when you think you're getting away with something." One corner of Levi's mouth quirked. "Come on, brat. How long have I known you now? Out with it."

Eren checked a sigh. How could he ever think he might get away with slipping anything past this guy? "Okay, fine. I was just thinking of what Erwin would look like if he turned into a fat-ass."

Levi stared at him with an utter lack of expression. Eren blushed deeply.

"I know, it's petty. I've got no reason to worry about him anymore."

Levi sighed, and he shook his head. A faint smirk appeared on his lips, and he walked to the bed. He finished removing his pants, tossing them with his shirt into the bin. He crawled gracefully on top of Eren, now wearing nothing save his underwear. His mouth closed in on the singers, and he kissed the corners of Eren's lips.

"I'm not mad at you," clarified Levi in a purr.

"You're not?" Eren stroked his hands over the agent's toned back, feeling the tight musculature beneath his palms. "Why not? I'm being a dick."

"I'm used to it," stated Levi dryly. "I'm not suffering any delusions, Eren. You're always going to be competitive against blondie. I've learned not to let it bug me, because I know you trust me even if you're jealous of him."

Eren winced. "I try not to be. I don't know why, man. I've never seen him come onto you, the guy's dating my mother and he's been nothing but helpful to both of us. I'm sorry, Levi."

"Don't be." Levi kissed his way down Eren's chest, and he tugged up the singer's shirt to bare his flesh. "It's flattering, really. After all this time, my shitty brat's still possessive of me. It means you're passionate about our relationship...means the thought of another guy coming onto me still drives you crazy."

Eren shivered, his hands reaching down to comb through Levi's dark, soft hair. "I never knew it was a turn-on for you. I th-thought you might be insulted." His thoughts were rapidly getting scattered by the warm, moist kisses Levi was bestowing on him, and he pinched his lips as the captain circled his navel with the tip of his tongue. He lifted his hips impulsively when Levi palmed his groin, and he fought back a whimper.

"Maybe I _would_ have been, not too long ago," explained Levi in a dulcet murmur, "but I've come to see things a little differently. Shit, this is gonna be the first night since all this started that I'm going to be able to enjoy you and fall asleep in the same bed. I think I can put aside any frustration I might harbor for you clinging to old feelings, Eren."

Eren tried very hard to follow Levi's conversation, but it was damned difficult when the man was being so sensual and attentive. He sucked in a sharp breath as his spouse grasped the zipper of his trousers and pulled it down, relieving some of the pressure on his stiffened groin. Eren tensed with anticipation as Levi reached into his underwear to ease out his erection. He sucked in a slow breath, watching his spouse examine his exposed goods for a moment. Levi raised his eyes from Eren's cock, meeting the singer's stare. Without a word, he situated his body between Eren's thighs and lowered his mouth to the flushed cap of Eren's arousal.

Eren's breath hitched, and he stared at Levi, holding that pale, silvery gaze. The agent's pink tongue circled the knob of the glans teasingly, and Eren tensed. God, could his husband ever play the role of the sex kitten well. Eren wasn't brave enough to tell Levi as much, but he couldn't help himself from thinking it. Levi probably wouldn't appreciate the observation, anyway. Instead, Eren settled for applauding the man's initiative in a way that wouldn't embarrass him.

"You are so fucking good at that," husked Eren, unable to tear his eyes off Levi.

A bare hint of a smirk, and then Levi took the head of Eren's cock into his mouth to give it a suck. The singer tensed, and his fingers trembled in Levi's hair. Levi took it as encouragement, and he drew it deeper into his mouth. He watched Eren with hooded, unblinking eyes as he pleasured him, drawing back to let the singer's saliva-slick length out of his mouth. He then dove in again, taking it deep down his throat.

"Ah...L-Levi," moaned Eren, fighting against the urge to thrust.

So good...he was so good. Levi's head started to bob steadily as he picked up a rhythm, sucking and licking the stiffened flesh. The wet suction of his mouth distracted Eren to a fault. He took his hands away from Levi's hair to avoid pulling on it, and he grabbed bed sheets by the fist-full. His breath rasped between his lips faster, and his face started turning ruddy. He couldn't help but rock into Levi's attentive sucking, despite his best efforts to remain still.

"Oh God...oh God...Levi...baby..."

As if driven by Eren's expressed pleasure, Levi started sucking him off harder and faster. He grasped the singer's hips roughly to still them, humming in his throat as he took him deeper, with greater intensity. His tongue curled around the thick length he was pleasuring, and his smoky gray eyes drifted shut. He took Eren's arousal greedily, like it was a particularly delightful treat. He made pleased sounds in his throat as he worked his mouth with determination, and Eren's panting grew heavier and more intense.

"Levi," he whined desperately feeling the pressure build intolerably. He couldn't last much longer. It was spreading through him in ripples, and Eren was sure this one was going to be a screamer. "I...Levi, it's about to happen. Ah, fuck...I c-can't hold it back!"

If anything, Levi sucked even harder. Chords of muscle stood out on Eren's neck as he threw his head back. His hips jerked, and he flooded the other man's mouth with his cum. Levi swallowed steadily, not spilling a single drop of it. He kept swallowing until the singer was spent and trembling, his thighs quivering in the aftermath. Levi gave Eren's length one last suck, contrastingly gentle to his earlier ministrations. He licked Eren clean, and then he eased out on top of the singer, lying comfortably over him.

"So, have I lose my touch?"

Eren stroked the silken ebony of Levi's hair, shaking his head. "Not one bit. Wow, you blew my mind again."

"Good." Levi nuzzled Eren's throat. He seemed quite pleased with himself for a moment, but then he hesitated. He lifted his head to gaze down at Eren, and that subtle, playful spark faded from his gaze.

Eren reached up to trace Levi's sculpted features, troubled by the doubt he saw in those eyes. "What is it, gorgeous?"

Levi didn't speak immediately, and when he did, he averted his eyes. "Now's about the time I should be getting trussed up for bed."

Eren shook his head. "No. We don't need to do that anymore, Levi. You've been given a clean bill of health, and I'm not tying you up again."

Levi met his gaze again. "What if they're wrong, Eren? What if I'm not as 'cured' of enemy influence as they think?"

Eren suffered a moment of sheer, helpless frustration. He understood Levi's fears. He'd been utterly mortalized by his experiences, vulnerable in ways he'd never been before. How much did it cost a person like him to admit to weakness? How painful it must be to that pride of his, to admit he wasn't one-hundred percent in control of himself.

"Levi, I trust you," whispered Eren sincerely. "It's past time for you to trust yourself. Stop blaming yourself, okay? If you have doubts, at least trust in Hange. She thinks you're going to be okay. You _do_ trust Hange, right?"

Levi sighed, his brows pinching briefly. Eren could see the struggle in his expression, and he knew he'd made the right call in bringing up the man's "shitty glasses". One thing that had always remained consistent in both lives was Levi's reluctant yet unbending trust in the eccentric, bespeckled woman. The world could be turned upside-down, and yet despite his complaints against her, Levi would always trust in Hange Zoë's judgment.

"All right," Levi said at last. He dropped his head to Eren's chest, resting his cheek against it. "We'll see how it goes tonight, and if I don't attack you or anything, we can do away with the restraints from now on."

Eren put his arms around him, hugging him supportively. He loved him even more for his supposed 'weakness', because it was clear that above all else, Levi valued his safety. Eren hadn't suffered any doubts about that. Never once, even when Levi was compromised, had Eren felt threatened by him. He'd gotten creeped out a couple of times sure, but he'd known in his heart that his husband would never harm him. After all, for the entire time Eren had known the man since meeting him, Levi had made it his priority to protect him.

"Don't be afraid of yourself," he dared to whisper against the agent's hair. "I'm not. I trust you more than I trust anyone else in the world, Levi."

Levi snorted softly, and he lifted his head to peer at him. Whatever sardonic response he'd been prepared to make died on his lips as he stared into Eren's trusting green eyes. He frowned slightly, and he lowered his gaze.

"I don't have your way with words, brat."

Eren smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to. You just need to know that I trust you, and you mean more to me than anyone."

"Cut it out," muttered Levi, his fair features going pink. "What do you do anyway...rehearse this stuff?"

"No need to." Eren cupped Levi's chin, and he drew the smaller man's mouth to his own for a lingering kiss. "I never need to bullshit with you, Captain. I mean everything I say."

Levi stared at him, and his face remained pink. He looked so cute in his embarrassment that Eren couldn't resist lifting his head off the pillow to kiss him. The singer smiled against his husband's grumbling lips, and he gave him a squeeze.

"I'll stop being poetic," promised Eren, fighting laughter. "Hey, where are you going? Come back here."

Levi had vanished under the covers, squirming down and covering up his head. He peered out at Eren as the bigger man lifted the blanket to search for him.

"You don't have to be embarrassed," advised Eren between chuckles. "Man, are you ever cute."

"Knock it off," mumbled Levi. He looked like a grumpy cat. "I'm not cute."

"No, you're adorable," revised Eren. He pushed the covers down to reveal Levi's mussed head, and he cupped his face. "How can a guy kick so much ass and be such a kitten at the same time?"

"Call me a 'kitten' again and I'll beat you," warned Levi.

Eren didn't take the threat seriously, though he knew from past experience that Levi was more than capable of laying on the pain. He squirmed lower on the bed, and he urged Levi higher up on his body. He kissed his protesting lips.

"Hey. I'm just glad you're home and with me again, Captain."

Maybe it was time for a distraction. Eren hid a smile, and he caressed the agent's chest lightly and teasingly. He brushed his thumb over the right nipple, and it perked up responsively to the attention. Levi's breath caught as he kept rubbing it, counting on his sensitivity to quickly take his mind off his troubles. He wasn't disappointed. Levi's eyes fluttered shut, and he licked his lips with a pleasured sigh. Threats against pet names died on the agent's lips, and he whispered Eren's name huskily. Eren pressed a thigh between his spouse's legs, rolling Levi onto his back and lying partway atop him. He felt Levi's groin getting firmer against his skin by the moment. He switched his hand's attentions to the other nipple, and he kissed Levi softly on the lips.

Eren almost told him that he loved the expression that came over Levi's face, the subconscious surrender and pleasure in it. He thought it best not to bring it to the proud little man's attention, though. There was only so much adoration Levi could be expected to take before his embarrassment overrode his lust.

"I love you," murmured Eren instead, and he kissed his way down from the smaller man's jaw to his neck, then lower. He latched on to the nipple he'd been teasing before, and he flicked his tongue against it.

"Unh...Eren..." Levi's back arched, and he squirmed restlessly beneath the singer's weight. The moist, slippery precum forming on the tip of his sex smeared against Eren's thigh, his length twitching greedily. He moaned again when Eren gave his nipple a firm suck, while pinching the other one between his thumb and forefinger. The pale skin pebbled with goose bumps as Eren's attentions coaxed his body to further excitement. He started panting heavily, and Eren left off fondling his nipple to reach down and seek out his erection. Close...Levi was getting very close, and Eren had hardly done more than play with his nipples.

Eren hadn't really planned on intercourse, but the more Levi broke down beneath his loving efforts, the more Eren's body demanded more. He was getting hard again already, lending credence to Levi's frequent observations about his hyper sexuality. Eren gave his spouse's cock a few pumps with his hand, and then he reached out for the drawer on his bedside table while switching his mouth to the other nipple. Levi was shuddering beneath him, cussing breathlessly and throwing his head back. Eren eased up a little, inspired to try and save the other man's climax for after he was inside of him.

"Hah...oh fuck," moaned Levi when Eren entered him with a slick finger.

Eren grinned against the pebbled flesh he was pleasuring. He didn't always succeed in being so smooth about it, but he'd obviously taken Levi by surprise this time. He tensed a little when the agent's fingers threaded through his hair, half-expecting a punishing tug. When they stroked his scalp instead, Eren relaxed and he knew he had permission to keep going. He pumped the digit slowly inside of his spouse, trying to pace himself so as not to rush it and get careless. Levi rolled his hips, instinctively matching Eren's motions. His breath quickened further and became more ragged. Levi's pelvic motions started getting erratic as Eren found his sweet spot and massaged it in passing with each pump of his finger. A second finger soon joined the first, and Levi's body opened further for him.

"Want you so fucking bad," gasped Eren, releasing Levi's nipple to kiss him hard on the mouth. Their tongues danced together, and the smaller man's thighs spread wide, silently pleading for more. Eren withdrew his fingers and grabbed the tube of lubricant to squirt some out recklessly on his now fully erect cock. He wedged his hips between his husband's trembling thighs, and he gazed down at him as he positioned himself. Panting heavily, Eren butted against Levi's prepared entrance, and he met the dazed, smoky gaze.

"Ready for me, sexy?"

"Yeah," confirmed Levi raggedly. He slipped both hands down to grab Eren's ass, squeezing it firmly. "Hurry up, brat."

The singer wasted no more time. He entered Levi's hot, willing body smoothly, driving himself in steadily but carefully to the hilt. Both of them groaned, and Eren pressed his forehead against Levi's. It was an easier breach this time than the last, but no less snug around him. He still couldn't get over how amazing it felt each time they were joined this way. Eren lifted his head to stare down at his spouse's flushed features, and he withdrew almost to the tip. A low groan trembled on his lips as he pressed back in again.

"More," gasped Levi demandingly. "Give me more of that fat cock, Eren."

That was it for the singer's self-control. He started thrusting steadily, giving up on attempts to be tender. His breath caught each time his length slid home, and Levi tightened around him. Whether he did it on purpose or not, Eren couldn't say. It intensified the pleasure as he drew back, and he started getting as pink in the face as his companion. His expression tightened, and he made guttural noises of delight. The bed creaked and bumped against the wall as Eren hardened and quickened his pace, falling completely into primal, carnal impulse.

"Yes," grunted Levi approvingly. His ankles crossed and locked together at the small of Eren's back, and he caught Eren's lower lip between his teeth to tug lightly on it. "So good...right there, Eren. That's fucking great."

He couldn't have had a hotter, more sensual partner than the captain. Nobody had ever lit Eren's fires so easily, and none ever would. The singer's world spiraled out of control, ruled now by lust and pleasure. He didn't recognize his own rough voice, hearing his own cries distantly as if from far away. He nuzzled Levi's hand as it reached up to cup the side of his sweating face, unable to tear his gaze away from that tense, passionate expression on the man's face.

"It's okay, baby," encouraged Eren upon recognizing the look coming over him. He lowered his mouth to the captains and kissed him briefly on his parted, panting mouth. "Don't hold it."

"Hah...hah...f-fuck!" Levi's pupils expanded wide and his brows forked. His mouth fell open further, and his thighs tensed up around Eren's torso, squeezing the breath out of him. The warm spurt of the agent's cum pulsed between them, smearing against their heated skin. His hips lifted off the mattress and he squeezed Eren's hands as the singer entwined their fingers together. His cries were a thing of beauty.

Eren found he couldn't hold back any longer, himself. Seeing Levi that way, hearing the reluctant mewls coming from him despite his obvious attempts to censor them, it was all too much. His rough cries soon joined Levi's as he gave two more hard, sharp thrusts and filled him. Eren dropped his head to rest his feverish cheek against the smaller man's. Groaning with relief, he remained that way until the spasms ebbed. When he regained his senses, he lifted his head to smile at his companion.

"Wow," gasped Eren. "I swear it gets better every time."

"You...always say that," accused Levi breathlessly. He combed Eren's disheveled bangs back from his eyes, and he offered a slight little smile of his own. "But I agree, it was damned good."

They stayed interlocked together for a few moments while they caught their breath, and then Eren withdrew carefully from him and rolled onto his side. He rested his cheek against Levi's hard, sweaty chest and he sighed, well-sated.

"Let's go away somewhere for a while," suggested Eren upon inspiration. "Just the two of us. We'll go rent a cabin or something in the woods...somewhere quiet and far away from the city. How about that place we stopped at last year when we were on the run? That was a nice spot...peaceful."

"Eren, I can't just take off," reminded Levi softly. He stroked the singer's back. "Not right now. We've got shit to deal with and I'm still under watch. They'd never approve us taking a vacation in the middle of all this."

Eren sighed. He hadn't really expected a different response, but it was a nice thought. "I know. A guy can dream, though. I'd love a second honeymoon with you."

Levi went quiet for a moment, and then he slid his hand beneath Eren's cheek, urging him to lift his head so he could gaze into his eyes. "Tell you what," proposed Levi, "we can compromise. When our second anniversary comes around—whether the agency has dealt with Zeke and his pack of clowns or not—we'll do it. You'll have that second honeymoon."

"Really?" Eren smiled. "You don't think it would be a bad idea of Zeke's still at large by then?"

"I doubt that's going to be the case, but even if it is, I'm sure by then the agency will have things tight enough to handle things without me. We'll just have to make sure and keep it on the down-low so that the wrong people don't find out where we went."

"That makes sense. I wouldn't want the media finding out where we went and coming to bug us, either. I guess that's a fair compromise."

He lay his head back on Levi's chest, and Eren relaxed as his husband stroked his hair. He could be content to wait for a while. He knew Levi was a man of his word, and if the captain said they would have a second honeymoon on their next anniversary, then Levi would make it happen.

* * *

To be continued


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you so much for all of the kudos and feedback! Secondly; things have slowed down quite a bit do to my complicated living situation, and it's become even more complicated since I broke my foot falling down the stairs early Tuesday morning. On top of everything else, now I'm temporarily disabled. While this means more time to write for me, it also means less access to borrowed WiFi, so I'm bumping my cellular data plan up to have my own hotspot for a little while until things smooth out. Sorry updates are so slow, and thank you for your patience. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!

It was a bit awkward to have all the extra security when going out anywhere or playing gigs, but Eren put up with it. Zeke Yeager was after him again. It made his stomach curdle to think that in another life, the two were half-brothers. It bothered him even more to acknowledge the man still shared the same surname as himself in this life, though spelled differently. The agency discovered this knowledge about him after more digging, a few days after lifting some of Levi's restrictions.

Apparently in this life, Zeke had been born to Grisha and Dina Yeager. That could explain why Eren wasn't born of the same parents this time around. Perhaps it was fate's way of trying to keep history from repeating itself, or perhaps not. Whatever the case, it was possible that Carla had never been reborn, and that saddened Eren to think of. She wouldn't have had any biological ties to him in this life if she had, but maybe there could have still been a connection between them from a past life. He would have liked to learn that his first mother was alive somewhere now and living the happy life she'd always deserved.

This brought him to another train of thought: the agency couldn't confirm whether Grisha and Dina were still alive. If so, then could Zeke's re-surfacing and actions be influenced by them? Considering he'd betrayed them to their death in the previous life—a thing that Eren didn't learn until near the end of the titan struggle—it was possible Zeke also had them killed in this life. However if he did not, then maybe Grisha still had his memories too, and he'd set Zeke on his current path to try and get to Eren for his own reasons.

"Eren, you okay bud?"

Eren didn't realize he was rubbing his temples and grimacing over the thoughts spinning through his head. He peered at his drummer, and he forced a smile. "Just a little headache. I'll be fine."

It hurt his heart to think of Grisha, much less imagining him being somehow involved in all of this and trying to get to him. He'd once been Eren's father. However, he'd betrayed Eren in his own way, regardless of his good intentions. He'd turned him into a titan shifter and sacrificed himself to be eaten so that Eren could inherit the coordinate ability. He hadn't given Eren a choice in the matter. He'd turned him into a monster, leaving only vague clues, a key to the basement at their home, and a promise that it would all make sense some day.

 _~It still doesn't, though.~_ Eren frowned. _~Not completely. Maybe I'm not remembering everything clearly. So much of it is as foggy now as it had been back then. Fuck, I hope you're not involved in this, Grisha...if you're alive. I think this time I'd kill you without having to be transformed into a mindless titan first. I don't want to have to do that. If you're out there somewhere, you'd best just stay out of this.~_

"Eren, come on! You're sleep-walking over there and we've got songs to rehearse!"

Eren again snapped out of his reverie, flushing a bit with embarrassment as Jean glared at him balefully from the practice stage. He didn't mean to keep spacing out, but for once, he wasn't going to argue with the guitarist. Jean was right; he needed to get his shit together. Eren hopped up onto the stage with his band, trying to ignore the looks ranging from concern to annoyance he was getting.

"All right, let's try 'Dust'," suggested Eren with a look around at his companions.

Connie sighed. Clearly, he wasn't a fan of the song. Eren came up with the title while watching Levi dusting, but the song wasn't about cleaning. Mikasa started it up with a thrumming bass intro, followed by soft tapping of the cymbals from Connie. Jean joined in with a slow rift, and just as Eren began to sing, the door to the practice room opened and Levi came in with Petra Ral. Eren almost stumbled over the first line upon seeing his husband. Petra had been assigned as Levi's escort whenever he wanted to go somewhere, and currently, that was her primary job.

Levi approached the stage and watched them play, and Eren was reminded of what had inspired him to write this rock ballad. On the morning the idea came to him, Levi was cleaning house. The early light streamed in through the window in the living room and shone on Levi's shiny, black hair. There were minute dust particles in the air as the agent made use of the swifter, and they muted the light around him to a soft glow. In that gentle, golden illumination, he'd looked almost angelic to Eren.

_"The edge of dawn approaches,_

_come closer to me._

_I'd like you on a bed of roses,_

_come closer to me."_

Jean thought the lyrics were cheesy, but everyone agreed that the melody and rhythm were outstanding. Emotionally charged, passionate and powerful, the blend of Eren's crooning and Jean's heavy guitar chords balanced each other out to create a singularly unique tune. As he went on singing, Eren thought he saw Levi smirk the tiniest bit. He surely had to know this song was about him. Petra started swaying, nodding along with the tune and smiling. Even Reiner paused in his job of moving some speakers to bob a little with appreciation. Why the man was still willing to be their roadie/security man after what he'd seen while working with them, Eren couldn't guess. Maybe some part of him knew that he owed them something for past wrong doings, even if he couldn't recall them.

On the song played, to the closing chorus.

_"Even if the world turns to dust around us,_

_I'll never let you go or stop loving you."_

The song ended with a final, dying chord from Jean and Mikasa. Eren put the microphone back on its stand dock, and he grinned when Petra started hooting, clapping and bouncing with enthusiasm.

"That was great, you guys!"

Eren hopped down off the stage. "Thanks, Miss Ral."

"Just call me Petra," she insisted. "'Miss' sounds so formal, and I'm the same age as you. Is that a new song, Eren? I haven't heard it before."

He nodded. "Yeah." His gaze flicked to Levi, and he smiled. "I came up with it last week."

Levi glanced away, and it seemed to Eren that his pale cheeks gained a hint of color to them. "Did you, now? Sounded good."

Pleased by the observation, Eren gave Levi's hand a brief squeeze, knowing he wouldn't tolerate a bigger show of affection in public. "Thanks."

Armin came walking up from the back of the studio. He clapped in approval at the performance. "Well done, guys! Once you have that one nailed down, we can start recording. I'm thinking it would make a good single to promote the next album."

"Yeah, we could do that," agreed Eren. "I think—"

The door banged open before Eren could finish his sentence, and Sasha came running inside, waving her phone. "Guys! Guuuyys! You've gotta see what's happening! Get looking!"

Her slang briefly confused Eren. Sometimes, since drinking Hange's memory concoction, Sasha lapsed into that odd hillbilly-ish dialect her village spoke way back in the other life. Seeing the dread in her eyes, Eren dug out his phone.

"What are we supposed to be looking at?"

"Oh, here...it's on my phone. Come close and see!"

Everyone crowded around the waitress to have a look at whatever it was she was trying to show them. On the screen, there was a still image from the local news channel's website. Sasha backed it up and played the clip. Someone had bombed UFI headquarters in Tarsus Valley. The clip showed black smoke rolling up from one of the upper floors and firefighters arriving on scene.

"Damn, here we go again," Jean muttered.

Levi's phone started going off, and so did Petra's. Both of them answered immediately, and Eren listened to his husband's conversation.

"Yeah, we just saw it," Levi was saying. "Did this just happen now? Uh-huh. Fuck. Where's Erwin now? Did he get out? I see. All right, I'll head that way with Petra now. If you find out who did it, let me know. I don't give a shit what the higher-ups say; I want in on this."

Levi hung up the phone. Petra was still talking to whomever had called her. Eren saw the tension in his spouse's stance as Levi turned to him to explain the situation.

"Someone managed to sneak an explosive into the building. It went off in Erwin's office, so my guess is he was the main target. Mike's on the scene with a team and they're going to try and detain everyone that set foot in that office today. Could have been the janitor, but it could have also been one of our own agents, operating under mind control like I was."

"Holy shit," breathed Eren. "Is Erwin all right?"

"He got out." Levi dug his keys out of his blazer. "He's been taken to the hospital for some cuts and minor burns. Mike says he must have found the bomb right before it went off, because Erwin went charging out of his office yelling at people to get out of the building. The fucking thing went off right after he got out the door, and Erwin got thrown and caught a little of the heat. Nobody else was hurt, thank fuck."

Petra hung up and came over to them. "I guess you got called about it too, sir?"

"Yeah, we'd better motor. Eren, you coming with?"

Eren glanced at his band mates. "Guys, let's cut this one short, okay? I want to check in on the commander…uh…I mean Mr. Smith."

"We'll come too," Connie suggested. After all, he and the others once served under Erwin's command as well.

Levi held up a hand in a warding gesture as everyone started for the door. "Oi, hold up! We don't need half a dozen people crowding Erwin at once. You guys can go and visit him later. He's not critically injured, so there's no rush."

None of them dared to argue with him. Levi nudged Eren and Petra respectively as he retrieved his keys from his pocket. "Let's get moving. I want to see how bad the dumbass copped it."

* * *

Levi had mixed feelings when he arrived with his companions in Erwin's hospital room to find Madeline already there fawning over him. On the one hand, he wanted to tell Erwin to get his perverted paws off of his mother-in-law. On the other hand, he wanted to tell Mads to get her hands off his ex-lover. It was a horribly confusing array of emotions, combined with sincere concern and relief. Erwin had a bruise on his brow over his left eye, a bandage on his forehead and wrapping going down his left arm from shoulder to elbow.

"Erwin," Madeline was saying in a half-scolding, half-loving tone, "you really should consider a different line of work! Look at how many times you've nearly been killed just this year alone."

"I'm fine, love," Erwin assured her, wearing the sort of grin Levi associated with pleasure over getting attention. The bastard had smiled at him that same way when Levi was nursing him after having his arm bitten off, in the previous life.

Levi sighed, and he leaned back against the door to affix his superior with a cool stare, hiding his tangle of emotions behind a stoic mask. "She's not wrong, you know. Let's see: so far this year you've shot yourself in the foot, been stabbed, nearly beheaded and now you almost got blown up. Maybe it's time for you to retire, old man."

Erwin tore his attention away from Madeline to look at Levi, and there was a very brief flicker of mild surprise on his handsome—yet bruised—features. He recovered quickly, and he offered a charming smirk. "At least this time, it wasn't you."

Levi lowered his gaze. He knew Erwin was just kidding with him, but the observation caused a fresh pang of guilt within him. "Yeah. That's something, at least."

Eren picked up on Levi's mood, as he was often wont to do. He took the initiative and he went to hug his mother. "You look so worried," he murmured to her.

"Well, my fiancé nearly got blown up," excused Madeline. "If it were Levi, you'd be shitting kittens."

Eren stiffened at her words, and so did Levi.

"Uh...Mom, did you just call Erwin your 'fiancé'?"

Erwin was making a "cut" motion with his hand directed at Madeline, but she didn't see it as her back was turned to him.

"Oh, we were planning to tell you at dinner this weekend. Erwin proposed to me just last night."

Eren's jaw dropped, and so did Levi's.

"Wait...hold on," breathed Eren while Levi stood in his spot staring between the two of them, "Do you mean to say to me that you two are going to get _married_?"

Madeline looked at Erwin with a faintly guilty expression. "Should I not have said anything? It just slipped out!"

"It's all right," Erwin said in a soothing tone. "I would have preferred to announce it in a more ideal setting, but what's done is done." He met Levi and Eren's gaze one at a time. "Yes, I've asked Madeline to marry me, and she's accepted. We plan to be wed by the end of the year, provided circumstances are calm enough by then."

Levi was as speechless as one could expect of him. So was Eren, apparently. Both of them just stared dumbly for several moments, until Madeline hesitantly spoke up.

"Boys, please say something. Are you...okay with this?"

Eren came out of his shock first, prompted by his mother's pleading expression. He relaxed, and if his smile was a little forced nobody could really blame him.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it. I'm just surprised. I knew you guys were getting pretty serious, but I didn't know it was _that_ serious. I mean, a few weeks ago I thought Commander...uh, Mr. Smith was meeting up to talk to me because he wanted to ask you to marry him, but when that wasn't the case, I figured marriage wasn't going to be a thing with you two for a good, long time."

Eren sighed, and then his smile became more genuine. He hugged his mother close. "I'm happy for you, Mom. He's a good man. I know he'll treat you right."

Levi wasn't as gracious as Eren. When Madeline turned to him with a questioning look, clearly wanting reassurance from him as well, Levi couldn't provide it for her. He shifted on his feet, glancing between his former lover and his mother-in-law, conflicted in the worst way.

"I need a minute alone with Erwin, please."

Madeline and Eren exchanged glances. She spoke in a concerned tone. "Levi, you aren't planning on doing something rash, are you dear? Please don't take this the wrong way, but you _did_ attack Erwin more than once while those people had you under their influence."

"Don't worry," he assured her, his gaze holding Erwin's, "I'm not compromised anymore, and I don't plan on hurting him. I just want to talk."

She bit her lip, and then she took her son's hand. "Okay, Levi. We'll give you two a moment. I'm sorry to drop this on you at a bad time."

With that said, she and Eren left the room. Once the door was closed, Levi approached his superior with an unreadable expression on his fine-boned face. Erwin regarded him with wary blue eyes, looking as though he expected a blow to come.

"If you weren't already bruised up, I might consider taking a swing at you," Levi informed him. He was darkly amused at the wariness he saw in those bright eyes. "But I think I've kicked your ass enough, lately. Just tell me why you picked her, Erwin. Why my mother-in-law, of all people? You were never the commitment type before, so what changed, and why _her_?"

Erwin sighed in a world-weary manner. "I never intended to. I knew getting into a relationship with Madeline would be awkward. Honestly, I was lonely. I missed you, and Madeline made things better. When I'm with her, I forget what a miserable bastard I am, and I feel like I could be a decent man. Perhaps a part of me is trying to prove something to myself, but I tell you with complete sincerity that my greatest motivation is that I'm in love with her. I'll always love you and I think you know it, but that doesn't lessen my love for Madeline. I hope that you can come to accept it, Levi, and forgive me. I never meant to hurt you."

Levi's hands clenched into fists, only to relax again. It was old anger, and it needed to be let go. Erwin _had_ changed in the best ways over the past two years. It was time to stop clinging to past hurts and let the man move on. He couldn't keep punishing Erwin for something he'd done in another life. He couldn't keep dwelling on it, and he had a loving and devoted partner in Eren.

"All right," Levi sighed at last, combing his fingers through his dark bangs. "It'll take getting used to, but you've got as much right to be with who you love as I do. Just keep your promise and don't fuck her over."

"Of course." Erwin relaxed, and his eyes softened. "Thank you for giving me the chance to be a good man, Levi."

Levi tensed a bit again, but not for the same reason as before. "Knock it off. You already _are_ a good man, you idiot."

Erwin shrugged. "In some ways, perhaps. You know what I mean."

Levi glanced away. Yes, he knew what he meant. Erwin meant that he wanted to prove he could be a good and faithful partner, rather than the selfish playboy he'd once been. Too bad he'd never tried to prove that to Levi in the previous life, but if he had, then Levi and Eren never would have hooked up.

"You know this is going to make me your son-in-law and Eren your stepson, don't you? Did you forget that fact?"

"I haven't forgotten. I realize it won't be easy to adjust to, but try to remember it's only a legal connection. It isn't as though I'm actually your father."

"Tch. As long as you don't expect me to call you 'Daddy'."

At that, Erwin laughed. He winced as he did it, obviously sore from his latest ordeal. "No, I wouldn't expect you to do that...though it does make me wish I'd been a bit more adventurous with you while we were sleeping together."

"Pervert. Don't try any kinks like that with Mads."

"What she and I do or don't do in the bedroom is our own business," reminded Erwin, his tone sobering a bit, "but I can promise you that I treat her like a lady."

"Good," approved Levi. "See that you do. I'll step out now to talk to her, and then we'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Oh, and on a more serious note: I want to be included in this investigation. It's also past time for us to stop fucking around move in on Zeke's base before he does more damage, Erwin. Use that superior negotiation skill you have when dealing with the higher-ups. Get them to sanction a raid, and make sure I'm on it. If they keep putting it off they're only giving the enemy more time to plot. Zeke obviously wants you dead pretty bad, and if this keeps up, he might just get lucky."

Erwin frowned. "Yes, you make a good point. He seems to consider me quite a threat. I'll see what I can do. You know as well as anyone that I'm not afraid to bend the rules when I feel its absolutely necessary. Our superiors don't fully grasp how dangerous and influential this man is. If certain measures have to be taken to ensure we strike quickly enough, then so be it."

Levi tilted his head, unsurprised that Erwin was willing to undermine authority if he had to, but curious about the events that occurred after his demise. "What happened after I died, Erwin?"

The former Scout commander looked away. "I transformed into a titan from the injection you gave me. We drove back the enemy, retrieved your body and returned to the wall to hold funeral rites for you and the rest of the fallen. Then we carried on as best we could, but I fell before we could see it all through. I never avenged you as I wished to do."

"Hmm." Levi didn't ask for more information. He knew that Eren had been the one to take down Zeke at last, but Eren's memory of that moment was too blurred. Perhaps by then, he'd been more monster than man and hadn't had the coherency to commit those last moments fully to memory.

One thing was for certain, though: Zeke really wanted Erwin out of the way and Eren in his grasp. Levi wasn't about to let either thing happen.

* * *

When he came back out of the hospital room, Levi didn't look nearly as tense as he had before. Eren was hopeful that he had resolved his issues with the engagement, if only because Levi's approval meant a lot to Eren's mom. He refrained from speaking as Levi approached Madeline, gazing at her quietly for a moment.

"Just don't let him walk all over you, Mads," Levi whispered. He gave her a subtle little smile. "Congratulations."

Madeline let out a breath she'd been holding, and she hugged Levi. "I know you two have some sort of past, sweetie. It's not my business, but I hope it won't stop you from coming to the wedding."

"Wouldn't miss it," promised Levi, hugging her back. "Now get in there and baby him some more. I've got to go downtown and check in with Mike...see what can be done about this. Eren, you can come with, or I can drop you back off at the studio. It's your call."

"I'll come."

* * *

The damage wasn't as bad as Levi had feared. As it turned out, the UFI headquarters were on the list of high terrorist attack threat with the local law authority and emergency agencies. They'd been expecting this, so emergency workers responded immediately when the explosion went off. Hange was there on the scene with Moblit and Mike. Levi parked half a block away and walked to them with Eren and Petra at his side.

"Looks like they've got it under control already," he remarked, coming up beside the towering blond man.

Mike nodded. "Mmm. Luckily, nobody else got hurt. It was a micro-bomb, short-range." He looked down at Levi sidelong. "Pretty obvious it was intended specifically for one person."

"Yeah." Levi compressed his lips and watched as the firefighters put out the last of the blaze. He noticed that Hange was standing as stiff as a board, and he stepped closer to her. The scientist's hands were clenched into fists, and her eyes were narrowed dangerously as she watched emergency workers clean up after the explosion.

"What's up, shitty-glasses? You look like you're straining to drop a load."

"I'm pissed off, that's what's up," answered Hange in a low, grim voice. "Those dirty birds!"

Beside her, Moblit looked considerably nervous. Levi couldn't really blame him. When Hange got into a mood like this, it was usually best to stand back. Even he knew that. He had to give the man props for managing a girlfriend like her.

"I get it," Levi said to Hange, "but now that I'm looking at it, it isn't as bad as I thought. Erwin's okay, just banged up a little. We need to focus on catching the person that did this and interrogating them. Then we need to get our asses in gear for that counter-assault we've been trying to get started."

"They still want more information," Moblit said unhappily.

"They've got all the fucking information they need," insisted Levi. He tapped his left temple. "Right in here. I've talked to Erwin and he agrees something's gotta give. We need people moving in on that facility as soon as possible, and I need to be with them."

"Don't know if they're going to go for that," muttered Mike.

"They'll have to, if they want this done with minimum casualties. I've cooperated with the agency and done everything asked of me. I've got a clean bill of health. If they keep stalling, the enemy's going to either relocate before we can make our move, or they're going to attack again. Next time, it could be another massive strike like what happened last year."

"Let's not wait for that to happen," Petra suggested with a little shudder.

Levi nodded in agreement with her, and he suspected her thoughts were on Eld. She still suffered moments of emotional distress when she thought of watching him die, but she hadn't imbibed in Hange's memory tonic, so at least she didn't remember seeing him meet his end almost exactly the same way in another life, as small a mercy as that was.

"We've got to act, and soon."

Mike heaved a sigh. He mumbled something under his breath, even as he nodded. It was no secret that he preferred not to be the one to do the talking, and he tended to only say what was necessary. "I'll see if I can reach Pixis and Shadis. I'm sure Erwin's already on the horn with them, but he might not be in the condition to do his usual parley. Guess he could use the help, even if I suck at it."

"You're better at it than I am," Levi insisted. "At least you say what's on your mind and get straight to the point."

"And you don't blurt out crude toilet humor," added Hange with a meaningful glance Levi's way.

"Piss off, four-eyes," grumbled the captain.

She smirked, some of her anger finally easing up. "I'm just telling it like it is, Levi. Mike, don't worry. I'll talk to them as well. I'll reassure them that Levi is fully capable and free of enemy influence, and Moblit will back me on that. I also have friends in the medical department that will vouch for him with a little persuasion."

"Just don't threaten anyone," Moblit cautioned. "Throttling our associates isn't the best way to influence people, Hange."

"It might not be the best way, but it's certainly one of the most efficient ones." Hange sobered when Moblit raised a brow at her. She shrugged. "Kidding. I can keep my cool."

Nanaba pulled up to the curb on her pale blue motorcycle, and she took off her helmet and scrubbed her fingers through her short blond hair to loosen it.

"I heard what happened," she informed as she set the helmet on the rack and approached Mike. She exchanged a quick kiss hello with him, and then she surveyed the progress of the cleanup. "I expected worse, to be honest."

"Yeah, they were specifically targeting Erwin." Mike said.

She nodded. "I stopped by his recovery room to check on him before coming here. Glad to see he's not badly hurt."

Nanaba's lips thinned briefly, and she turned to Levi. "Do you have any idea why they have such a hard-on for the director? Did that...thing...give any explanation that you can recall?"

Levi shrugged. He kept forgetting that Nanaba had taken Hange's concoction recently and regained her past life memories. "Not much. He just said he needed Smith out of the way."

He frowned as something else came to him...something that had remained fogged up until now. "Zeke also mentioned it being some kind of special revenge. It had something to do with me, but he was vague. He wanted to use me as the instrument of his destruction of the UFI, until I'd fulfilled my usefulness."

"What the hell does that mean?" Eren scowled, finally speaking up at the mention of Zeke's manipulation of his husband.

"Who knows, with that guy?" Levi shook his head. "Zeke's never played with a full deck, from what I've seen."

"I wouldn't know," said Nanaba bitterly. "I only got the chance to see him in his titan form from a distance, before his pets tore me apart. We never formally met."

Mike gave her shoulder a squeeze, quietly sympathetic. Nanaba patted his hand and changed the subject. "We're going to need Levi on this raid, if the bigwigs get off their butts and let us do it. I spoke to Gunther last night and he's just as eager as we are to see it done. He's already put in a request to be part of the mission when it's confirmed."

That gave Levi some sense of comfort. Though Gunther didn't remember them from the past, he was as solid a soldier now as he ever was. "Good to know. Well, I guess there's nothing more I can do here. Eren, do you want to go back to the studio or go home for the day?"

"I'm too wound up now to concentrate on music," sighed Eren. "Let's go home. We could take the dogs for a walk in the park or something."

Levi nodded. Unfortunately, he still needed his escort at all times. He had Petra staying in the spare bedroom while she was assigned as his guard, finding it more convenient for both of them. "All right. Petra, are you ready?"

"Yes sir. Ready when you are!"

* * *

Going to the dog park was a good idea, even if Eren did say so himself. It felt a little weird to have Petra and the agent whose name Eren couldn't recall accompanying them, but the two of them hung back a few feet to give the couple some measure of privacy. Luka had fallen back on bad leash habits again, because Eren hadn't had many opportunities since the chaos began to walk the dogs and he'd never been much of a disciplinarian with them to begin with. Lena was behaving nicely for Levi, however.

"Eren switch with me," decided the captain after Luka tried to go and sniff at another dog for the third time. "You take Lena. I'll bring Luka back in line."

Eren didn't argue with him. Levi was much better than he was at asserting himself over the dogs and leash training them. He traded leashes with his spouse and switched sides with him, sighing in relief as the more well-behaved Doberman replaced his wily shepherd as his leash companion.

"Sorry. I try to keep him in line, but I guess I just don't have your touch."

"I'm used to it." Levi gave Luka's leash a firm tug when the animal tried to veer off the footpath, and Luka subsided and fell back in line. "Guess I've got a way with bratty mutts."

Eren laughed softly, catching the reference to himself. "Yeah, you do."

"Heh."

Eren looked away toward the pond, where a teenaged boy was playing Frisbee fetch with his golden retriever. The dog apparently loved the water, because he kept jumping in right after it to get it when the boy threw it into the pond. The singer nudged a little closer to his spouse and glanced over his shoulder at their two companions, who were chatting softly as they followed them. He wasn't fooled by their casual demeanor. Both agents were alert and ready to act if there was any sign of danger. Even if the guy acting as Eren's bodyguard wasn't so prepared, he knew Petra was. He'd seen her in action, both in this life and the previous one.

"Hey," he said, stopping. He walked back to Petra while Levi looked on with a puzzled frown, and Eren stepped close to Petra to whisper to her. "Think we could get a little time alone? Not long, and not far out of sight, but...you know. Just a little private moment outside our own house. I think it would really help Levi feel a little more um...normal. Do you know what I mean?"

Petra's amber gaze was sympathetic, but her expression was irresolute. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Eren. I understand how difficult this has been for both of you, and to have us following you around on top of the media has to be driving you both crazy, but...I have orders."

"I'm not asking you to lose sight of us completely," coaxed Eren. "I just want a moment or two in private with him. Maybe at that gazebo over there by the pond." He pointed at it. "The one with the ivy all over the latticework. Just give us fifteen minutes alone together in there, would you? You can keep an eye out from a distance and be there in a snap if anyone suspicious starts heading that way, can't you?"

Petra bit her lip, and she looked sidelong at her stony-faced associate. He had a clearly disapproving look on his rugged features. He reminded Eren of a brown-haired version of Reiner, actually. He had almost the same haircut, squared jaw, frowning visage and broad shoulders. His eyes were dark brown, too. Otherwise, one could easily assume they were related.

"It's risky," said the guy in a low voice.

"Nick, I'm sure it's not going to put them in grave danger." Petra's voice was dry, and she glanced at the man next to her in a way that suggested she had been dealing with his stiff nature for a while, now.

At least Eren had a name for him now.

"Just fifteen minutes," persuaded the singer. "Give us fifteen minutes alone in that gazebo, okay? You don't have to go far. You'll be able to hear if either of us yells for some reason, and you'll be able to see if anyone suspicious comes by. Let us pretend for a little while that we're just a normal couple having some time in the park together with our dogs."

"Awe..." Petra was obviously sold on the idea. Eren could see the romantic envy in her expressive eyes. She sobered, and she gave Nick—who literally towered over her tiny form—a frowning challenge. "As far as I'm concerned, it's reasonable. Agent Ackerman is still our superior, by the way. We can grant him this one small act of respect."

Nick huffed a little, but as so many men had done under Petra's stare, he deflated. "Fine. If anything happens, though—"

"I'll take responsibility," she promised immediately. She favored Eren with a smile, and she nodded at Levi, who was still holding both of the dog leashes and watching with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "Go on then, Eren. I'll keep watch to the left, and Nick can keep watch to the right. We'll stay a respectful distance without crowding you two, all right?"

Eren grinned happily, and he nodded. "Perfect! Plus, the dogs are protective and trained to attack if anyone messes with us. They'll be right next to us. It'll be fine."

* * *

Levi had no idea what Eren was up to at first, because he wasn't prone to snooping. He just stood back and watched as the singer conversed with the agents, silently wondering what the silly bastard was trying to pull. Then, Eren convinced him to walk to an ivy-covered gazebo with the dogs in tow, and Levi had a better idea of what was going on in his head. He saw Petra and Nick change positions, each circling around opposite sides of the pond. Then Eren quickly wiped off one of the benches inside of the gazebo with his sleeve, sat down and patted it invitingly while smiling up at Levi.

"A bit of alone time, eh?"

Levi didn't admonish the taller man for dirtying up his sweater-sleeve. The gesture was endearing and very much the kind of thing Eren would do. Ignoring the bit of dirt that remained on the bench, Levi sat down beside him.

"Watch," he commanded both of the dogs. Luka and Lena came to attention, both sitting down near their respective human companions with their ears perked alertly. Satisfied that they would remain in guard mode until he said otherwise, Levi turned to his husband.

"You know we could have plenty of privacy when we return home."

Eren shrugged. "Yeah, but isn't this nice? A little moment in the shade, out in public but out of sight near the water? We haven't been able to do something like this for a while."

Levi couldn't disagree with that. It _was_ nice, and it was a bit of normalcy in their otherwise abnormal lives. He found himself putting a hand on Eren's knee and scooting closer to him. Eren went stock-still when Levi rested his head on his shoulder with a sigh. The agent smirked subtly, understanding. He wasn't at all prone to public affection, after all. Let alone sweet gestures such as this. He couldn't blame Eren for thinking that perhaps his behavior was a residual symptom of Zeke's mind manipulation.

"Don't worry," murmured Levi, "I'm just trying something new, not changing personalities on you."

Eren was evidently speechless, regardless of Levi's reassurance. He put an arm around the smaller man almost gingerly, as if he feared he might shatter the moment by making a wrong move. The dogs looked on and wagged their tails in approval as their human companions cuddled on the bench.

"You are," Eren whispered against Levi's hair, "so cute, Captain."

Levi briefly tensed, but he made himself relax again. He kept his head on Eren's shoulder, and he rubbed his knee. "If you say so."

Eren's mouth smiled against the crown of Levi's head as he kissed the spot. "I really do say so. I'm a lucky guy."

"Sap."

Eren muffled a snicker against Levi's hair, and he gave him a squeeze. His knees went back and forth, knocking together.

"What, you need a piss?" Levi hid another smirk against Eren's shoulder. The guy was acting like a teen on his first date. It reminded Levi of another Eren; the uncertain yet determined young man from the past who had blossomed from an angry, volatile youth into a strong fighter and devoted lover.

"I'm just not used to you being this cuddly outside the bedroom," admitted Eren. He reached under with the arm he had around Levi, and he cupped the agent's chin to tilt his head up and back. He kissed Levi on the lips, and he spoke softly against them. "I could get used to it."

"Could you, now?"

Levi smirked against Eren's mouth, and he surprised him again by tracing the crease between the singer's lips with the tip of his tongue. Teasingly, cajolingly, he did it again more slowly. Eren parted his mouth to allow the captain's tongue inside, and the seductive glide of Levi's tongue against his made his breath quicken. It was strange but wonderful to have Levi being so boldly amorous this way. Eren caressed the smaller man's jaw with his fingertips, then his throat. He undid the top three buttons of Levi's shirt. Feeling the agent tense a little, Eren left it at that and chose not to push his luck.

"So sexy," he whispered between kisses. He slipped his hand into the opening of the indigo button-up shirt he'd just parted, and he brushed his middle finger gently over the bud of Levi's nipple. The captain made a pleasured sound in his throat, and his nipple pebbled in reaction to Eren's touch. The singer gave it a little squeeze, and then he did the same with the other nipple.

"Oi, you're getting me too worked up," breathed Levi, shivering.

"That's the idea." Eren smirked when he glanced down and saw Levi's black pants starting to bulge tellingly at the crotch. How far would his husband let him take this? They'd never made out so openly before. It was hot, and Eren was getting hard too.

"Mmmph," mumbled Levi as Eren thrust his tongue demandingly into his mouth. His breath caught when the singer resumed fondling his nipples under the parted material of his shirt. He offered no further objection, his breath coming faster by the moment. Eren cracked his eyes open a bit, and he saw the flush spreading over Levi's fair face.

"I want you," he husked, his lips wet with their blended saliva. He kissed him again, teasing Levi's tongue with his own. He took his other arm out from behind Levi's shoulders, and he rubbed the inside of the captain's nearest thigh.

He couldn't believe he was getting away with this. Usually by now, Levi would be telling him that was enough and to save it for the bedroom. Someone passed by the gazebo outside, and Levi didn't even flinch. Evidently, he was getting too into what Eren was doing to him to notice. That was unusual, because even during sex, the captain was usually alert to all of his surroundings, ready to act at the slightest sense of danger.

_~Could it be that he just feels that safe right now? Maybe he noticed those people passing by, but he just doesn't care since we've got the dogs, Petra and that other guy keeping watch.~_

Eren wasn't about to count his blessings. This was the most romantic, exciting thing he and Levi had done together since Eren got him back from Zeke's clutches. His attentions grew more amorous, and his hand crept further up Levi's thigh. Levi was likewise stroking Eren's thigh, his strong, agile hand moving closer and closer to the now straining swell of the singer's crotch.

_~Oh my god, he's gonna do it. He's about to feel me up in public!~_

Eren's heart was beating so hard and fast now that he was surprised everyone within ten feet couldn't hear it like a drum solo. Music started playing in Eren's head, a melody to go along with the rapid tempo of his heartbeat. He always got the best song ideas when he interacted with his spouse, whether it was romantic, intimate moments or casual conversation. He would have a new tune to write up later, and he knew just the theme for it.

"Captain," sighed Eren with appreciation when Levi's clever hand palmed his hardened package.

Nothing could compare to this. No porn was ever this fucking sexy, and Eren fought back a groan of need as his arousal was massaged. He rocked into the possessive touch, and he carefully reciprocated. Levi hummed in his throat, approving of the move. It made Eren want to shove him down on the bench they were seated on and ravish him right there in the park.

"Maybe," gasped Eren, "we should head back home now."

"Mm-hmm." Levi took his hand off the swell of Eren's groin, and he pulled back to gaze at him wish smoky, come-hither eyes. "Best idea I've heard all day, brat."

* * *

"Eren...fuck, Eren!"

They'd barely shut the bedroom door behind them before seeking out one another's embrace. They had rushed home with their escorts, told them to make themselves at home, unleashed the dogs and hurried promptly into the master bedroom.

Now on the bed on his hands and knees, Levi was naked and being tongue-fucked mercilessly. A strap was secured firmly around the base of his twitching, needy cock to prevent ejaculation until Eren was ready to let it happen.

Levi couldn't really say what had gotten into him, except that he had suffered an overpowering desire to demonstrate both to himself and to his husband that he was willing and able to try being more adventurous. Perhaps it was due to the talk they'd had about him opening up more, or perhaps he was just sick of living such a structured and disciplined life. Whatever the reason behind it, his ordeal with being captured and brainwashed had made him re-evaluate some things. Life was fleeting. It could end at any moment without warning, and while he and Eren were both alive and together, Levi intended to appreciate every moment with him more.

He shuddered as Eren's moist tongue delved inside of him again, and his stomach tightened involuntarily. Eren cupped his balls and hummed in his throat, causing little vibrations to tickle the sensitive flesh around the singer's tongue. Levi put the back of his hand against his mouth, biting down on it subconsciously in an attempt to gag the cries threatening to break free.

It was no good. With each gentle squeeze of his sack from Eren's skilled hand, with each swirl and push of his diligent tongue, Levi's composure was steadily shaken from its foundation. He somehow clamped down on his vocalizations...until his husband gave his ass an open-palmed smack. The hot sting of it took Levi by surprise, and before he knew it, he was tossing his head back and crying out. His dick dribbled more precum, bucking in a near-orgasm.

"Fuck me," Levi heard himself whine. Did that plaintive, greedy voice belong to him?

Eren stopped tonguing him and rubbing his balls to reach for the lube sitting on the nearby bedside table. Panting with need, Levi listened to the sound of his spouse fiddling with the tube to get it open. He clenched up involuntarily at the sudden chill when the other man applied some of the slippery substance to his entrance. Forcing himself to relax, Levi waited for the feel of Eren's slick finger penetrating him. When it did, he moaned like a whore.

"You're so hot inside," remarked Eren in a passion-roughened voice. "God, I can't wait to feel this tight little ass swallowing me whole, baby."

Levi blushed deeply at his spouse's lewd words. Quite the lyricist, Eren was; even when he wasn't trying to be. Raw, honest yet somehow still loving, Eren's declarations always put Levi in a strange state somewhere between embarrassment and lust.

His next thoughts were interrupted as the singer inserted a second finger into him and tickled his prostate. Levi grunted and lifted his ass a little more, dropping his forehead to the pillow. "Shit..."

"Just take it, Levi," husked Eren, arching over the agent's bowed back to speak into his ear. "You squeeze me so tight. It's gonna feel so good to be inside of you again."

Levi's pelvis tingled from the throbbing jolts of sensation his companion was provoking from deep inside of him. His breathing rhythm picked up in pace, and his body was wracked with spasms of pleasure. He couldn't hold back his cries any longer. Eren kept going, steadily opening Levi up with his scissoring thrusts. Levi heard the rustle of material as his husband yanked his pants down over his hips, and the agent glanced back over his shoulder to watch Eren position himself. Shirt hanging open, pants down around his knees, brown bangs falling over his eyes and sweat glistening on his tanned chest, he looked every bit the sex symbol.

Fuck, he was hot.

Levi clenched his jaw and pressed back against the taller man. He could see the edges of the reddened handprint on his own ass from where Eren had spanked him earlier. He watched Eren grip himself, felt the press of his cock against his hole, and he closed his eyes as the tip of Eren's sex nudged into him. Levi moaned his partner's name, squeezing the pillow compulsively.

"Feels better every time I fuck you, I swear," groaned Eren. He pressed in deeper, slowly filling Levi until he was balls-deep. "Levi...I want to make you scream."

Levi had to admit to himself that Eren's goal wasn't likely to take long. He was on the very edge of orgasm again, yet he couldn't reach completion with the restraint binding his arousal. He rasped another curse, and his balls tightened and swelled. A trembling moan shook him from head to toe, and his dark hair fell forward to obscure his vision as he bowed his head. Eren started to move then, rousing a hitching cry from Levi.

They started out slow at first, their bodies shifting and rutting against each other as the singer began to take Levi from behind. A little harder, a little faster. A bronzed hand gripped Levi's captive length, stroking up and down the shaft. Levi tilted his pelvis, trying to guide Eren's pumping to just the right spot. It worked beautifully. Eren was so attuned to him that he knew exactly what Levi's goal was, and he adjusted his thrusts accordingly.

"Hah... _hah_! Right there, Eren. Unnh...don't stop! S...so good...you eager...little bastard..."

He didn't even know what he was saying any longer. Levi was beginning to feel delirious. In a furor of pleasure, frustration and need, he rolled his hips encouragingly. His breath was stolen from him by yet another almost-orgasm.

"Eren...the dick strap," panted Levi, now getting desperate. "Take it off."

"Not yet, gorgeous," came the breathy, labored response. "Not...just yet. A little longer."

"Ah...you fucking sadist," accused Levi. His eyes went uncommonly wide as his spouse's answered that accusation with a hard, sharp thrust that hit his sweet spot with enough force to make his vision blur. Mouth dropping open, he keened the singer's name in a desperate manner. Eren stroked Levi off faster, fucking him with precise, rapid pumps.

For how long it went on, Levi couldn't be sure. He was wild with need and calling out to the taller male hoarsely by the time Eren showed him some mercy and loosened the restraint around his cock. Levi's orgasm struck with sudden, vigorous intensity. It pulsed through him in waves, and the scream that Eren had been hoping for ripped from the agent's throat.

"Yes," growled Eren, smacking Levi's other ass cheek to paint a handprint on it matching the one from before. "Harder, Levi. Give it all to me."

There was no choice but to obey. Lev's body was his husband's instrument now, utterly at Eren's mercy. He stiffened, grunted and cried out again. He wondered if he might achieve lift-off for the both of them, as hard as his spunk was shooting out. In the back of his mind, Levi mourned the bedding he'd just put on that morning. It was a stupid thing to worry about though, and a climax like this was worth having to strip the bed again.

All thoughts of messy bed sheets fled from Levi's mind as Eren's vigor intensified. The singer started yanking him back into his thrusts, slamming into him with tense, desperate groans. It almost hurt, but even in such a carnal state, Eren never crossed the threshold of how much Levi could bear. He was ramming Levi's prostate like a jackhammer, and it felt amazing. Spent though he was, Levi cried out hoarsely with pleasure.

A raw groan, the gasp of Levi's name, and then Eren arrived. He clutched Levi's hips and held himself deep inside as he filled him up. Levi pressed his sweating forehead into the pillow, panting raggedly. He could feel the tips of Eren's hair tickling his back between the shoulders as the singer bowed over him.

"Hah...hah...mmmm..."

Eren released his hold on Levi's hips, and he embraced him around the torso. His weight bore the agent down, and Levi was too weakened from the intensity of the encounter to keep his position. He sprawled on his stomach with Eren lying on top of him. He couldn't even find it in himself to complain about being pinned down. His husband's uneven, panting breath warmed Levi's cheek as they both lay there like a pair of shipwreck survivors, hearts pounding wildly and faces still flushed.

"Wonder how much of that our guests heard," Levi muttered at last, once he could speak again.

Unlike the office that Eren sometimes used to work on music, they hadn't put soundproofing insulation in any of the other walls. Eren came up with the idea so that he wouldn't disturb Levi's rest if he wanted to compose songs late at night. They'd almost done it to the master bedroom as well, but Levi decided against it. Their home was secure against intruders, but should a fire start or a gas leak occur while they were asleep, he wanted to be able to hear the alarm.

"I don't care," Eren sighed. He nibbled Levi's ear, and he withdrew from him carefully. Giving the smaller man's blushing bottom a gentle caress, Eren rolled off of him to open the bedside cabinet and retrieve the wet wipes and lotion.

Levi's eyes drifted shut as his spouse cleaned up his ass first, then rubbed some of the lotion over the two spots where he'd smacked him.

"You only popped me twice," droned Levi sleepily. "Shouldn't need the lotion."

"Ah well...it's a good excuse to rub your sweet little ass."

Levi cracked his eyes open and lifted his head off his folded arms to peer back at the singer. "I don't get how you can switch so readily from boyish and shy to outright lewd."

Eren smiled, lowering his bright gaze. "I guess there's two versions of me now; the awkward youth you mentored in the past, and the rock star. This life has changed us both, though. You're a lot more uh...well...compromising now than you were back then."

"You mean submissive, I take it."

Eren shrugged and nodded. "Not that you aren't commanding as hell on a regular day, but since we got involved in this life, you do things with me that I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have done back then. You let me take charge without me having to beg for it."

Levi smirked, but it faded fast. He wondered if he should temper his response to that, but then he reminded himself that he had promised Eren to be more open with him. He propped his chin on his folded forearms over the pillow again, and he tried to choose his words carefully.

"Eren, you never saw that side of me in the other life because of our positions back then. You were still just a kid, titan shifter or not. I was an adult and your superior. Our relationship had a certain power dynamic to it, and in those days, I showed my throat to only one person."

"Erwin, you mean," guessed Eren softly. "I guess that makes sense."

"Yes, Erwin. To you, I granted favors, yet I always had to keep it in mind not to be too lenient, because you needed discipline and you needed to remember always that I was your superior. But now we're equals," explained Levi, "both in age and authority. Yeah, I might still call you 'shitty brat' sometimes and you still call me 'captain' sometimes, but this is...what we have now is..."

"Partnership?" came the low response from Eren, finishing Levi's faltering sentence for him.

Levi's mouth relaxed, softening. His tension eased, and he was grateful to Eren for figuring out what he was trying to say. He was just so fucking bad at this sort of thing.

"Yeah. Partners. It's easy for me to give you the control, because I don't have a duty to maintain authority over you."

Eren's hand stroked sensually down Levi's back, drawing a sigh from him. "And I get the feeling you like it that way, Levi."

Levi was on the verge of telling him to shut his filthy mouth, but he tempered that reaction. It was just the simple truth, and Eren didn't say it smugly. He made the observation truthfully, without any teasing note in his voice.

"Yeah, I get off on it," admitted Levi.

"Then roll over for me, gorgeous," encouraged the singer. "I've still got to get your front, and then we can change the bedding."

Levi turned over as requested, and he threaded his fingers beneath the back of his head as he watched Eren retrieve more wet wipes. He bend his knees and parted his thighs to give the singer access, and he watched him silently with lazy gray eyes. Eren lovingly cleaned off Levi's genitals, his eyes briefly meeting the agent's now and then as he did it.

 _~I'm lucky, ~_ Levi realized with startling clarity.

How many people would put up with his germ-phobia this way? How many wouldn't even question it and just do whatever they could to please him, to make him more comfortable and pamper him without asking a thing in return?

He was getting turned on again. It didn't help when Eren squeezed his thigh briefly as he finished up, and Levi recalled that glorious little treat his spouse had given them during their honeymoon.

"Hey Eren...if you ever want to do that nurse roleplay thing again, I'm game for it."

Eren had started tending to cleaning himself off, and he paused. He blinked at Levi, and then he started smiling. "You are?"

"Yeah."

Eren finished wiping himself off, and he disposed of the towelettes in the wastepaper basket by Levi's side of the bed. He crawled back onto the bed with the agent, and he gave Levi one of those deceptively innocent looks as he lay on his stomach with his elbows supporting his upper body.

"Well, we can schedule another appointment for you, Mr. Jaeger. I'm sure you're due for another prostate exam and physical."

"Probably," agreed Levi, already turned on by the idea. The next time they acted on it, however, he intended to end the roleplay a bit differently. "Why don't you book me in for next Tuesday, Nurse Ackerman?"

"Hmm." Eren pretended to check a schedule. "Yeah, we've got an opening."

Levi smirked. "What time?"

Eren thought about it for a moment. "Actually, the clinic will be open late that day, sir. Why don't you come in around seven o'clock, after dinnertime?"

Levi immediately suspected that Eren was trying to set up a romantic dinner as a part of the deal, and he cut him off at the pass. _He_ could be romantic. Maybe it didn't come as naturally to Levi as it did to his spouse, but he wasn't a complete deadbeat.

"Perfect. I'll braise some lamb chops."

"Oh yeah?" Eren's nurse persona dropped with obvious interest at the prospect of Levi cooking up one of his fancy dinners. "What would you make as side dishes?"

Levi considered it quietly as his spouse stretched out on the bed next to him. "Hmm. Probably some glazed baby carrots and sugar-snap peas."

"Mmm, sounds delicious." Eren smiled at him, propping himself up on one elbow. "What kind of wine would go best with that?"

"A dry red. Maybe a cabernet." Levi reached up to comb Eren's shaggy bangs out of those glorious eyes, desiring to see them un-obscured. He had to say that his husband's eyes were possibly Levi's favorite feature about him, followed closely by his ass and his smooth, tan skin.

Eren leaned in for a kiss. "Then I'll take care of the wine, lover."

"Just don't buy the cheap shit," chided Levi with a smirk. "I'll write down a good brand and year for you, 'cause if I don't, you'll come home with some kind of cruddy swill fit for highschool boys trying to get their girls drunk."

As loaded as Eren's career had made the guy, he was shockingly frugal and always bargain-hunted when shopping for groceries. They could be living in a mansion or on waterfront property with live guards at the privacy gate and expensive luxury cars. Instead, they lived in an ordinary suburban neighborhood, and while their home was nice, it was well beneath their financial means. That was part of Eren's charm, though; he was a humble man.

"Okay. You tell me what you want, and I'll get a couple of bottles."

"A couple?" Levi raised his brows. "How much wine do you think we'll drink, brat?"

Eren shrugged. "You'll need some for the braise, right? The last time you made it, you used red wine didn't you?"

"That's cooking sherry," corrected Levi. He couldn't help but huff a soft chuckle. "Heh. At least you're trying to pay attention."

Eren grinned bashfully, ducking his head. "I'll never be as good in the kitchen as you are, but I do try to learn from watching you."

"Good boy."

Levi cupped the back of Eren's head and urged him to lay his cheek on his chest. He sighed as the singer's weight half-settled on him, one bronzed leg resting across Levi's parted thighs. He closed his eyes and stroked Eren's hair, more comfortable with him than he'd ever been with Erwin. He'd never been able to sleep at the commander's side each night, always feeling—despite Erwin's assurances—that he was an intruder in the man's bed. Levi always left before Erwin woke up, in those days. With Eren, however, he could let himself relax and get a full night's rest in his embrace.

Levi breathed another slow sigh of appreciation, sifting his fingers through his husband's thick, long hair. He allowed himself the privilege of kissing the crown of Eren's head...a thing he never would have done in their previous life.

_~I fucking love the hell out of you, idiot.~_

* * *

-To be continued


	15. Chapter 15

Unfortunately, Levi and Eren's romantic evening of role-playing would have to wait for a later time. By the third day after the explosion, Erwin got word back from the council that they had approval to begin the mission to raid Zeke's base of operations and detain as many hostile agents as possible. He informed Levi immediately, and he also relayed to him that he would be included in the mission as a tactical strike leader.

"We're counting on you to guide our forces through this compound with as minimal casualties of our own as possible," said Erwin over the phone. "You claim to know it well enough to have a working knowledge of where the best points of entry would be, and the fastest way out if there's a need for a retreat. I'm not sure how, but I managed to convince our superiors that your participation would prove invaluable, rather than detrimental."

Levi listened to his former lover quietly, glancing over at the living room couch where Eren watched the music channel with the dogs. "And where does this put you, chief? I reckon they'll put you in the background to give orders from a safe distance, right?"

"That was the plan, but I've revised it."

Levi sighed, turned his back to the living room and rubbed his forehead. "You're planning on actively participating, then?"

"Yes. I'm going to lead the UFI side of this operation with Mike as my co-commander, as always. I have no intention of sitting this one out; especially when it involves such a dangerous enemy. Zeke has an agenda—"

"Yeah, to get you out of the way," huffed Levi, "and to get Eren and squash our organization in the process. We've already figured that out, which is why your towering ass shouldn't be anywhere near the action. You should be under tight guard and well out of reach of the enemy, Smith. Besides, you're still recovering from your latest injuries. How fucking close to death do you wanna get?"

"You didn't let me finish," chided Erwin. "Now be quiet and listen to me."

"Fine," groused Levi softly, so that Eren wouldn't hear his part of the conversation. "Where were you going with that, then?"

"I was going to say that I think it's more complex than him simply wanting me dead. Everyone is presuming he sees me as the biggest threat, but my death could simply be a means to an end. Remember how General Zeke did things in the past, Levi. He never had simple motives, and I can't help but feel I'm just a notch in the pole. Someone's at the top of it in his plans, and it isn't me."

Levi frowned, chilled by the thought. "What makes you say that?"

"I barely managed to touch him, before I was killed. While my strategies might have caused him some grief, I wasn't the one that did the most damage to his forces. You took out three times as many of his titans as anyone else in the corps, even though you fell before I did. You were the one he chose to abduct and manipulate, and you said yourself that he tormented you while you were under his control."

Levi recalled that all too well. Zeke must have known that some part of Levi remained inside of him, able to see and hear most of what was going on around him but unable to do anything about it. Zeke had mocked him, seeming to take great delight in forcing Levi to harm the man he most admired and take part in abducing the man he was in love with.

"You think this is all about me?" Levi hadn't considered that. He thought _he_ was the pawn and Erwin was the primary target of vengeance.

"I think it's a greater possibility than it being all about me," reasoned Erwin. "If not you, then consider this: Hange out-lasted nearly everyone, in the end. Her weapon inventions gave us an undeniable edge in the war, and I'm sure Zeke noticed that. The only one to out-live her in the final confrontation, as I understand it, was Eren. Am I correct?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't remember what went down before he died," Levi said in a near-whisper, moving into the kitchen for more privacy. "He still can't tell me how he died, just that he was the last one standing. He might have been captured and sacrificed to another shifter for his coordinate ability, or maybe Zeke himself devoured him. We've got no way to be sure. Whatever the case, Zeke obviously wants to get his paws on him again, so while we're theorizing on it, maybe his plan is to get rid of all the old veterans that could protect Eren from him, starting with you and using me as the instrument."

"That's another possibility. I think we've even touched on it before." Erwin sighed. "Levi, at this point Zeke's ultimate goal matters less than stopping him permanently. Even if we knew exactly what he was planning, it would avail us nothing. We know that he's dangerous, and he's already attacked many times. He knows our weaknesses. This can't be allowed to go on and as horrible as your ordeal was, it's provided an opportunity for us. We would be wandering in the darkness, if not for what you learned while in their thrall."

"All right, all right," sighed Levi, "I get it. No need to roll out some noble speech. Hey, I'm not the only one Zeke used as a tool, remember? The old goat was on his list too, even if he only used Kenny in a minor roll."

"That's right," mused Erwin. "Your uncle. I'll see to it that he's recruited into this operation as well. He could prove useful to the cause."

"Oi, hold up," protested Levi with a hiss, "that wasn't what I—"

"Isn't it?" Levi could hear the smirk in Erwin's voice. "You brought him up, after all. He has certain skills that can't be denied, and he _was_ the one responsible for finding you and rescuing you when you fell into the bay."

Levi felt like tearing his hair out. Now he'd done it. Kenny was going to be in on this. "I suppose you're gonna suggest recruiting all the brats, too."

"Actually, I've considered it."

"Erwin! They're fucking civilians now, all right? Leave 'em be in this. Let them be what they are now, instead of pushing them to be something that led them to their deaths in the past."

"You really do care about those kids," observed Erwin softly. "You always did, though you never wanted to admit it."

"I just think kids deserve a better life than being thrown to the wolves," muttered Levi, recalling all too vividly his own childhood from that time. He said no more on the subject of his personal feelings for the brat troop. "We sent them into hell back then, you and I. Then we recruited them against Reiss and brought them back into the nightmare with that titan drop shit. Excuse me if I'm not too eager to do it a third time."

"Levi, I do sympathize with your feelings. You of all people know that I never made command decisions without any moral compunction. How many nights did you and I stay up late over a glass of brandy, trying to calculate what the body count for the next mission would be? How many times did you tell me yourself that the cause is greater than any single soldier lost in battle? You were my strength, Levi, and I tell you now, I'm only considering this route because we need people experienced with titan slaying. In this age, we'll find no better soldiers than those kids. They have the memories and current training. It's an advantage we can't afford to overlook."

"You always were a ruthless tactician," observed Levi dryly. He sighed. "I suppose you're right, though. We can't afford not to use whatever advantages we have, not against someone like Zeke. If we take him out, maybe opposition to our organization will finally collapse and we can see a return to normalcy for a change. Then you and Mads can finally get hitched without worrying about some emergency getting in the way of your honeymoon."

"It sounds like you've come to accept the idea of me and Madeline being wedded."

Levi nodded. "I've been doing some thinking, and I've decided to let go of the past and let you be the man you are now, instead of constantly thinking of you as the man I used to sleep with. You deserve happiness, Erwin, and so does my mother-in-law. I'll get over the weirdness of you being my father-in-law somehow."

"Good," said the blond, some relief creeping into his tone. "I'm happy to have your approval, Levi. Let's hope Eren feels the same."

Levi looked back toward the living room entryway. Speaking of Eren, he had to tell him what was going on. Despite Levi's personal misgivings, his lover had the right to know what was in the works. "I'd better let you go now, Erwin. I have a feeling I'm about to have an argument on my hands."

* * *

Levi walked back into the living room, and Eren scooted over a bit to make room for him on the couch as the smaller man joined him. There was a serious look in Levi's eye, one that sobered Eren's thoughts immediately and made him forget about the joke he'd been about to crack concerning the commercial he'd just watched.

"What is it, gorgeous?"

Levi's brows pinched briefly before he answered. "That was Erwin I was just on the phone with. He says the mission to raid Zeke's base is a-go."

"I see." Eren could tell by the way Levi said it that his spouse had approval to participate in it. His brows lowered with determination. "Then I want to be in on it."

"Eren—"

"No, Levi. I'm not leaving you to face this asshole without me. I know what he can do, even if he isn't a shifter anymore. Besides, I have _two_ personal scores to settle with him now. Are you going to try and tell me it's none of my business?"

"I wouldn't say something like that," assured Levi, "and if our positions were reversed, I'd want a piece of him too. I know how you feel about what he did to me."

"Then don't try and deny me the right to help bring him down."

"You're forgetting protocol," reasoned the captain. "It isn't my call to make, brat. The higher-ups aren't going to go for having a civilian involved in this."

"That didn't stop us before," Eren reminded him grimly. "I know Commander Erwin will go over their heads to meet a goal, just like he did when we were fighting Satellite Core and the BRS. You guys need us, and I doubt he hasn't already thought of that."

"Tch. You stubborn bastard." Levi smirked a little, meeting his eyes as he scratched Lena's head. "Thought you'd make that argument."

Eren shrugged. "It's the truth. I'm sorry you don't like it. I know you'd rather me not get involved. I know you want to protect me. I'm still doing it, though. I've faced off against him before and I survived longer than anyone else."

Levi's mouth thinned. "But you still don't remember all the details. That would be helpful."

Eren lowered his gaze in thought. "No, I don't remember how it all ended. That much is true. Does it really matter that much, though? We both had out titan powers back then, so how that fight ended isn't really important for the sake of defeating him again."

Levi said nothing, glancing away.

"Captain, we can't risk letting him win. We can't give him that chance, whatever his master plan is." Eren took Levi by the shoulders, urging him to look at him. "I have to be at your side to see this done. I don't want that piece of shit getting his hands on you again. He's got to pay."

The smaller man met his gaze again, and he nodded slowly. "Yeah. What worries me most is that you're his main target, though. If we screw up, we could be delivering you right into his hands."

"Then we can't screw up." Eren smiled at him.

Levi heaved another little sigh, and he embraced the determined singer. "I expected to hold a better argument than this, but I knew you were too stupid to take 'no' for an answer. Saw it coming."

Eren understood. Levi obviously hadn't really expected to convince him not to participate, but the man had an obligation both as his protector and his husband to try anyway. It made him inappropriately giddy to think that Levi trusted his abilities so much. Eren cupped the back of his captain's dark head to draw him closer, and he kissed him lingeringly.

"What about the others?" murmured Eren against those soft, pouting lips. "I'm sure they'd be interested in helping."

"So is Erwin," agreed Levi. "Personally, I'd rather not have any of you in on this, but if Zeke has any titans up his sleeve, they might be useful."

"Do you remember seeing any or hearing about any he'd made while you were with them?"

Levi shook his head. "No, but I wouldn't put it past the fucker to have some in reserve. Reiss got the formula to transform people with the right genetics into titans somehow, and now I think that knowledge came from Zeke. The ape was probably the mastermind behind that whole conflict, in fact."

"I wonder why he did it?" mused Eren. "Was it just a distraction so he could enact another plan, or could he have been using Reiss to test us and see what we could do?"

"Might be a bit of both." Levi shrugged. "We know everything Zeke does has some kind of secondary motive behind it. I'm not going to give myself a fucking headache trying to guess his reasoning. We know he's a threat, and that's enough."

Levi stretched and yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. "Damn, I need a nap. Got up way too early this morning."

"Me too," agreed Eren. He was actually surprised he hadn't slept in longer. It was normal for Levi to get up early even if he wasn't fully rested, but Eren typically got at least six hours of sleep before rousing. He rubbed his husband's knee, fighting a reactive yawn to match Levi's. It was no good; his mouth opened wide and he made a sleepy sound in his throat.

"I guess we should get whatever rest we can," suggested Eren after recovering from the yawn. "When do they plan on moving out?"

"Tomorrow morning." Levi rested his back against the sofa, letting his head loll back. "Maybe we should just stick it out and keep awake until after dinner. Otherwise we could be up all night and won't get enough rest before the operation starts."

"Good point. I think I'll put on some coffee and call up Mikasa." Eren kissed his husband on the cheek in a domestic gesture of affection, and he nudged Luka's chin off his lap so that he could get up. "Want a cup, or would you rather have some tea?"

"Tea," answered the shorter man predictably. "I'd normally start checking my gear about now, but the agency still has it in holding. Guess I'll just have to trust Erwin and Mike to do the inspections."

* * *

"Man, I really didn't want to do this again," complained Jean as he opened up the case holding his assigned mobility gear. He sighed as he looked it over, and he ran his fingers over the harness. "Still, it kind of feels good to see it again. It's like riding a bike. We haven't had the chance to practice because of the regulations, but I know I'll pick right back up on it."

Mikasa was already strapping her gear on. She glanced at her boyfriend, quietly introspective. She offered no verbal feedback, but the look in her dark eyes gave away her empathy for Jean's feelings. They'd woken before sunrise to prepare for the mission, having been contacted the night before about the game plan.

Finally, Mikasa gave her feedback. "We'll be under Erwin and Levi's command, just as we were in the old days. Trust in them to lead us like they once did. If we're lucky, there won't be any titans to fight in this conflict."

"I don't believe that for a second," snorted Jean, "and neither do you. General Zeke was probably the main instigator of the last mess we got caught up in, and he's got a patent on using titans as weapons."

"True, but it won't be the same. There are no more shifters. Without his titan power, he should be much easier to take down this time."

"Let's hope you're right." Jean grunted as he tightened the gear harness over his uniform. "Hm, I must have gained a little girth since the last time I put this stuff on."

Mikasa smirked dryly. "You eat too much junk food. The straps have probably shrunk some too, though. Without regular use, it makes sense that they would."

"As long as you don't think I've gotten fat." Jean adjusted a few buckles. "Funny how this is still our best weapon, even in this age."

"Sometimes the best weapons are the old-fashioned ones." Mikasa looked up from her task of finishing up final adjustments, and she approached Jean to help him with his. "The titans aren't the threat they used to be. Modern weapons can barely scratch them, so if we have to face more, this is our best chance against them. Even if we don't, there's an undeniable advantage to using this gear. Our enemies expect modern warfare, not ancient fighting techniques."

"But that's just it," argued Jean, "Zeke will probably be expecting us to use this gear. He obviously hasn't forgotten the Survey Corps, though it beats the hell out of me how he managed to keep his past life memories when the rest of us had to rely on Hange's concoction to get them back."

Jean frowned and cocked his head a bit, staring at his girlfriend. "Do you suppose Zeke has some Ackerman in his bloodline somewhere? You and Levi are the only people I know of from that other life that have always had those memories."

"It's possible," allowed Mikasa thoughtfully. "He doesn't look like he has Asian in his background, but he could have Ackerman ancestry. We never learned much about Dina Fritz. Maybe it comes from her side of the family, because I doubt it comes from the Jaeger lineage. Otherwise, Eren would have remembered. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, you'd think so. If there's some ancestry in Zeke's bloodline that lets him retain his memories of the past life, it probably doesn't come from the Jaeger side. Doesn't really matter though, does it? The point is, Zeke remembers us and he's not going to be taken by surprise when we show up using ODM gear."

"That's true," agreed Mikasa softly, stepping back to check her gear once more. "I'm sure he's expecting trouble from us. In fact, I feel like he's been deliberately goading us, trying to lure us into making a move. His plan to eliminate the commander have failed, and maybe he didn't expect them to succeed at all."

Her eyes became grimly shadowed, and her posture tensed. "If that's the case, then he's probably counting on Eren coming after him. He failed to get to him through Levi, so now he's stopped laying low to try and force the UFI to act. He must know that Eren wouldn't stay out of it...not after what he did to Levi."

"So this could all just be a trap Zeke's set up to get to Eren."

Mikasa met his gaze, and the dread in her eyes answered that question better than words could have.

* * *

Eren was unnerved to find Armin among the group of old friends meeting up with them at headquarters in preparation for the strike. Like the others from his old trainee group, Armin was dressed in vintage soldier attire and geared up for action.

"Armin, you aren't thinking of being in the middle of the action, are you?" That didn't sit well with Eren, mainly because the last time, Armin had stayed in the background with Moblit to assist through technological means. He hadn't seen the action the rest of them had, though he'd trained with the gear just in case.

"Yes, I'm coming with." Armin's expression was harder than usual, wide blue eyes resolved. "I can't sit this one out, Eren. You may need me."

"There are other things you could be doing," Eren pointed out, unable to hide his dismay. "Your brain is your strongest asset, Armin. You know that."

Armin nodded, but he didn't waver. "I realize that, but my best ideas have always come to me in the heat of action. I would feel more confident about my ability to help if I'm fighting at your sides, just like in the old days. I want to put an end to Zeke's threat, once and for all. I've got to do my part to make sure this will be the last encounter with that man, and I want to see him neutralized with my own two eyes or I might never feel safe again."

Eren sighed, and he glanced at his other friends. All of them were grim and determined, and if it weren't for the modern setting they were in, it would have felt like they were back in the past, reliving preparations for war.

"All right, I guess I can't convince you otherwise. Just do us a favor and avoid the front lines, would you? Try not to make yourself a target. I mean it, Armin."

The blond smiled a little, weakly. "I know. Just so long as I have your back."

Levi came into the briefing room with Petra, and he looked the titan-slaying team over with critical eyes. He looked unreasonably sexy in his black version of the scout uniform. Black was definitely a complimentary color for him, as far as Eren was concerned. Levi stopped before Armin, his stare lingering on the blond until it made Armin squirm.

"No computer terminal for you this time, eh?"

"No sir," answered Armin. "I want to fight beside my squad."

Some of the other operatives trained to use the ODM gear weren't aware of the past life connections between them, and they looked on with obvious confusion. Eren reckoned it had to sound strange to their ears to hear a civilian band manager talk as though he and his friends were veteran soldiers.

"So be it." Levi didn't offer any critique concerning Armin's decision. He looked the rest of them over, and then he lifted the clipboard in his hand to scan over the documents attached to it. "All right, this mission briefing is going to be short and sweet. We've got Air Brigade squads ready to deploy, and they'll lead with airborne bombardment. Once they scatter the roaches, paratroopers drop first to lead the ground assault. They'll drive the wedge in, and that's where our teams come in. Use your fuel sparingly; there probably won't be an opportunity to break off and refuel once the fighting starts. Use your common sense, people. We might not get a second chance to finish this, and our primary goal is the capture of Zeke Yeager. If he gets away, this shit could go on indefinitely. Don't let that happen and don't waste fuel."

"Yes sir," the ODM strike team answered collectively, and Petra took her place next to Eren.

"All right then, let's get moving. We deploy at 0800 hours exactly. Pay attention to the aircraft number you've each been assigned to board. We need to make this deployment go as smoothly as possible, so lets avoid any transport confusion, shall we?"

Eren was already getting psyched up, adrenaline pumping through him with a familiar thrill. "Let's show 'em what we're made of!"

Levi met his gaze, and for a moment their eyes held and Eren thought he saw a flash of approval in the shadowed gray of his husband's stare. Levi didn't remonstrate him for his outburst. He might not be thrilled with Eren's determination to participate in this, but there was something like pride in the way the man regarded him, nonetheless. With his shaggy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep the length of it out of his face, Eren was sure he didn't quite look the part of a special operative. Nonetheless, people were treating him with respect. His part in the last big fight against their enemies was well-known by everyone involved in this strike, and they kept whatever misgivings they had about a rock star joining their ranks to themselves.

* * *

Levi couldn't say he was surprised to find Erwin waiting on the roof with the helicopters. Mike was at his side, and they were both geared up like the members of Levi's team. Evidently, they were both prepared to change their roles in this fight from strike pilots to titan slayers if necessary. Hell, maybe they even intended to dive into the melee right away, rather than stay airborne with the other pilots.

"What do you think you're doing?" Levi challenged.

Erwin glanced down at himself. The bruises from his latest ordeal had faded by now, and he hardly looked like a man who had barely avoided getting blown up. "What does it look like, special agent? I'm deploying with the rest of you to lead our people in this strike. I said I was going to do as much when we spoke last."

"Yeah, but you didn't say you'd be gearing up," Levi pointed out. Why he still felt so protective of the man, he couldn't say. He supposed it was just habitual, but he would have preferred not to worry about both Erwin and Eren's safety on this mission. After all, Zeke hadn't made it a secret that he wanted Smith out of the way.

"I find it's best to be prepared," reasoned Erwin calmly, "especially when dealing with an enemy such as this. Would you disagree with that logic?"

Levi compressed his lips. Damn the man, Erwin was just too reasonable. He couldn't very well try to forbid him from going through with his plan to take an active role in this strike. Erwin was still his superior, after all.

"I guess not," he said at last, shrugging. He turned to watch the ODM strike teams board their assigned aircrafts. "So where's that shit-head uncle of mine? Thought you said you wanted him in on this too."

Erwin nodded at the transport chopper Levi was to board with Eren and the others from the 104th. "He's already on board. Levi, I want to make it clear in no uncertain terms that you aren't to engage Kenny in a verbal pissing match. We have a job to do, and there's no room for your personal rivalry with him. Do you understand?"

Levi's jaw clenched, and Mike looked carefully away with a soft snort. It felt like he was a kid being reminded by his father to behave himself, and that caused no small amount of resentment to bubble up. He very nearly cautioned Erwin against trying to take on a paternal role with him. Just because the blond tree would be marrying his mother-in-law some day soon didn't give him the right to patronize him.

Hange came to the rescue unbidden, sprinting up from the roof exit with Moblit close at her heels. They two were geared up to fight titans, which meant she'd chosen not to do her part of this conflict in the background.

"Hi boys. Sorry we're a little tardy! Levi, you're scowling again. What did Erwin say this time?"

Levi tempered himself with difficulty, and he stiffened his posture. "Nothing far removed from his usual blabber. I'll see you in the battlefield, shitty-glasses."

With that said, Levi turned and started for his chopper, his vintage cloak whirling around him. He heard Erwin sigh, heard Moblit voice a low question, but he ignored it. He suspected it would take a miracle for them to make it to their destination without him and Kenny coming to blows, but he silently armored himself and vowed not to be the one to start any shit—regardless of how Erwin's warning irked him.

* * *

"Look at that sour puss," Kenny said with a sly grin as Levi boarded and buckled himself in next to Eren. "You don't seem too happy to see your old uncle, runt."

"I can think of better company to fly with," Levi said in clipped tones. He finished securing himself in, and he leaned back in the seat to look out the window. "We're not here to chit-chat, anyway. Keep your mind on the mission and your part in it."

Not knowing what to say or do to ease the tense moment, Eren sat quiet and tense beside his spouse. Kenny was watching Levi shrewdly. Undoubtedly, he was cooking up some other jibe to throw the captain's way. Eren's fist clenched in his lap. While he was grateful to Kenny for rescuing Levi from drowning, he hated the way the guy bated him all the time. Not many people could cause Levi to lose his composure. Plenty of people irritated the captain, but Kenny Ackerman had a special talent for making him lose his temper.

"Is that all the thanks I get?" Kenny crossed an ankle over a knee, tilting the brim of his signature hat up a little so he could see Levi better. "You'd be fish food right now, if it weren't for me."

"And I'm sure you'll milk that as much as you can," observed Levi with a scowl. "It's pretty tasteless to keep throwing that in my face every chance you get. None of my other comrades feel the need to remind me of every time they've had my back, and vice-versa."

"I'm just giving you a hard time," defended Kenny, "like I always do. Don't act so surprised."

"You're insecure," Levi stated flatly. "That's why you've got to extol every half-ass decent thing you do, Kenny. You know you're a piece of shit, and you have to keep bringing it up because you think it makes up for all the fucked up things you've done in life. One good deed doesn't pardon all your other crimes, though."

Eren sucked in a breath as Kenny's eyes narrowed with anger. It didn't look like Erwin's cautioning was going to prevent a confrontation between them. The two of them simply clashed, and that was how it had always been.

"You want to talk about those 'other crimes' in front of all these people?" Kenny said dangerously. He withdrew a knife from his boot, and he deftly spun it between his fingers. "You might think I'm a piece of shit, boy, but I've got skills your people need. Got my own score to settle with this 'Zeke' guy, too. You're not the only one he screwed up."

"Then save it for Zeke," suggested Eren abruptly, before Levi could part his lips. "That's the enemy, not Captain Levi."

The others were tense as well. Connie was glaring at Kenny as the older man stared at Eren as if surprised he'd spoken. Mikasa looked like she wanted to eat Kenny's face off. Jean was shaking his head and rubbing his temples, probably expecting a fist fight to break out. Sasha and Armin watched silently, both wearing concerned expressions.

"Got yourself quite a pistol here, don't you?" Kenny at last said to Levi, smirking. "Looky how quick he is to rise to your defense. Isn't that gonna get in your way when the fighting starts, midget?"

"Eren knows how to conduct himself in battle," Levi said stiffly. "Worry about your own stupid impulses before you criticize his. If you want that pardon you're after to go through completely, you'd better keep your fucking mind on the goal and drop the attitude."

Kenny huffed a little. "Just making conversation. Say, where's the scientist gal with the glasses? She's a spitfire. Is she coming along on this little excursion or what?"

Levi relaxed with a smirk. "Hange's on another chopper, luckily for you. She'd probably already have her hands around your throat shaking you like a rag-doll if she were on board this one. If you've got an ounce of self-preservation, you'll watch your mouth around her."

Kenny chuckled. "A woman like that needs a real man, not some mousy little jellyfish like that guy she's always got clinging to her lab coat."

"Better not let her hear you talk about Moblit that way," advised Levi tonelessly. "She'll turn you from a rooster to a hen without a second thought."

"Think so, eh? Maybe she'd just thank me for opening her eyes. Since when do you care what 'shitty glasses' thinks anyhow, Levi?"

"He's always respected Hange," protested Eren, speaking for Levi when he saw the captain compress his lips angrily. "You don't know what you're talking about, so shut up!"

"Oi, enough." Levi's cool order cut through whatever rebuttal Kenny might have tried to make. He gazed at his uncle steadily, seeming to regain his calm in the face of Eren's indignation. "Zoë's no pushover, and she doesn't take shit from anyone except her closest comrades. You aren't counted in that list, Kenny. Don't push your luck with her. Now drop it. We've got bigger things to worry about than trading insults with each other. I can kick your ass later, after we've dealt with Zeke and his goons."

Kenny shrugged. "Whatever you say, brat. I'll take you up on that challenge when this is over, if you've still got the stones for it." He grinned, and he retrieved a sharpening stone from inside of his jacket. He started sharpening his knife, glancing up at Levi after every scrape. "I'll use this to give Zeke a nice, close shave. Then we'll settle who's the better fighter between the two of us. I'd hate to mess up that pretty face of yours, though. Your rock star would be devastated."

Eren scowled at the lanky Ackerman as Kenny smirked at him and tipped the brim of his hat in his direction. The only family resemblance Eren could really see between Levi and his uncle was the shape and hue of the eyes. Otherwise, Kenny was nothing like Levi. Unkempt, whiskered, tall and skinny, the man had none of Levi's magnetic charm. Eren supposed they were at least a little alike in mannerisms when it came to slang talk and profanity, but there ended the similarities for him.

"How did he end up so hot with someone like you as his uncle?" blurted Eren at last, more irritated than he cared to admit. "Levi must have gotten all his looks from his mother."

Instead of reacting with umbrage, Kenny threw his head back and laughed. "Hah! Don't pull any punches, kid! Yeah, I'll admit Kuchel got most of the looks in my family."

Kenny sobered abruptly, his gaze roving over Levi thoughtfully. Maybe it was just Eren's imagination, but he thought he saw—just for a second or two—a hint of sorrow in the assassin's gaze. "And you do look just like your mama, runt. You'd be the spitting image of her, if you were a girl. Sucks that she wasn't your mother in this life, too. I still haven't found her anywhere. Maybe she never got reborn like we did."

Eren looked between the two of them uncertainly. He'd forgotten that Levi was born to different parents in this life, just as Eren himself had been. He'd never had the opportunity to meet Levi's parents in this life. Like Eren's father, they'd both died young. Fortunately the only people in the passenger hold with them were the members of the 104th who had also been reincarnated, so Kenny's observation didn't bring about any awkward questions or confusion from anyone.

Levi looked away, a faint line appearing between his thin brows. Eren knew he had loved Kuchel, short though his time with her had been. Obviously Kenny had loved her too, and that seemed to be the main thing that bonded the two together; their mutual love for a woman that probably didn't exist anymore.

"Guys, get ready to deploy," Nanaba's voice said over the speaker. "We're approaching the target. Air strike is getting into formation. Director Smith has given the order for the assault to begin as soon as we're in range."

The announcement effectively ended the arguing. Everyone did a final check of their gear, ensuring that gas canisters were full, triggers weren't sticking and wire reels were properly aligned. Levi and Kenny exchanged one last glance between them before unfastening their safety belts. Levi was first to the closed hatch, with Kenny right behind him. Eren pushed his way past the lanky man with annoyance, determined to be the first to follow his captain down when it was time to jump.

* * *

"Looks like they were in the process of trying to change locations."

Erwin glanced at his copilot, and he nodded in agreement. Below in the compound, they could see supply trucks heading out the back gates in a line. Whether Zeke or any of his ranked cohorts were still on the base was anyone's guess, but they couldn't call off the attack now. Heaven willing, they could get Zeke's location from a captive through interrogation if they couldn't find the man himself within this compound.

"We'll stick to the plan," decided Erwin. The Air Brigade had already begun their assault, and as the missiles streaked from air to ground, Erwin issued a command over communications to his own teams. "All aircraft; weapons free. Focus fire on tower structures first to ensure no return fire can come from them."

The combat jets and helicopters broke formation, banking off to the left and right as they followed their directive and joined their allies in the first wave of attack. Supply trucks on the ground went up in flames, interrupted in their trajectory. Erwin cursed over that. Zeke could possibly be on one of those trucks, and they were going to need confirmation of his death if he went down in the strike.

"General Matthews, order your men not to target ground vehicles attempting to leave the compound," Erwin said hastily over communications. "Our primary target could be aboard one of them, and he's wanted alive if possible."

"Understood," answered the commander of the Air Brigade forces.

The order was relayed, and the allied forces ceased hostilities against the ground transport. Erwin breathed a little easier, and he piloted his jet into a barrel roll. He heard Mike curse softly, but by now the bigger blond was accustomed to Erwin's stunts. Downward they spiraled, and Erwin leveled out and streaked out low over the compound. He activated his missile targeting visor and Mike did the same. Soon their launched firepower joined that of their associates, blasting away stone, mortar and steel through the half-moon shaped perimeter on the ground below.

"Second pass," Erwin announced, circling back around the southern end of the compound to unleash more explosives. "Mike, get the artillery ready. We've started taking fire from below."

Indeed, uniformed people were swarming out from panels on the ground that had opened up. A missile streaked straight up towards Erwin's plane; probably a heat-seeker. Swearing under his breath, Erwin banked left hard, turned another barrel-roll and managed to avoid the hit by mere inches.

"We've got a seeker on us," informed Erwin tensely when alarms started going off in the cockpit. "Mike, can you take it out?"

"I'll try, chief." Mike operated his targeting system, attempting to shoot the missile on their tail down. "Shit...too close. I can't get a good shot."

"Perfect," groused Erwin. "Air strike two, are any of you free to take care of this?"

"Got it, sir!"

The voice came from Nanaba. Though she was on the transport team, she'd already seen the threat. Her chopper came roaring in with surprising speed for such an aircraft, but Nanaba tended to customize her aircrafts. The engines were more powerful, the maneuverability improved, the weaponry a step above the norm. Artillery fire rattled from her chopper as she closed in behind the rocket trailing Erwin's jet. She'd broken formation to assist, but Erwin couldn't criticize her actions at the moment. There was a pop as something got blown off of the heat-seeker, and it spun out of control. Arching chaotically to the west, it corkscrewed toward the ground and went off harmlessly out of range of any structures or combatants.

"Thatta girl," Mike muttered into his microphone, briefly wiping sweat from his forehead.

Nanaba briefly came up beside the jet, and she gave a thumbs-up through her window.

"Did that turn you on, Agent Zacharius?" she asked over their communications, a smirk on her lips. It wasn't possible to see her eyes through the mirrored shades she wore over them.

"Hmph." Mike grinned at her.

"Save the flirtation for a more appropriate time, you two," Erwin advised. "We've still got a job to do and Nanaba, you're out of formation."

"Ahem. Of course, Director."

Nanaba broke away to return to her place in the third wave formation. Mike was still grinning in that sly way of his, and Erwin looked at him sidelong with a smirk of his own.

"She's a fine woman, Nanaba."

"The best," agreed Mike. "Don't come down too hard on her for deviating from the plan though, Erwin. We might have been blown to bits if not for her."

"I'm all too aware."

Erwin was a practical man after all, and he'd done his fair share of improvising and deviating from protocol himself.

* * *

Levi watched the paratroopers deploy from the transport aircrafts up ahead of their group. He wasn't sure exactly what happened when Nanaba suddenly broke away from formation like the beasts of hell were on her tail. He'd come close to breaking Eren's nose when he lost his balance, and no amount of cussing her out made a difference in her sudden change of course. Whatever the cause for it, he saw a glimpse of Erwin and Mike's jet through the small round viewing porthole of the exit hatch, and then they were back in formation again.

"All right, get ready people," Levi shouted, giving the soldier at the hatch the nod to open it up. He slipped his goggles over his eyes—a form of shielding against tearing and sparks that he would have rather done without. He supposed he couldn't readily make fun of Hange anymore from now on, but practical sense was practical sense. They were diving from a great height, and as soon as they got within range, they'd all have to release their chutes and deploy the ODM gear.

"Follow me in," he ordered his companions. "Stick to the plan. I'll lead us to the lower levels where the target should be. Leave the cleanup to the other ground forces and focus on getting to Zeke."

"Yes sir!"

Trusting them to do as instructed, Levi clenched his jaw and waited for the right moment to leap out. With his fingers curling around the pull chord for his chute, he picked the ideal landing spot and hurtled through the air, leaving the chopper behind. He heard Eren yell one of his wild battle cries, followed by Kenny hooting and Armin screaming in terror.

_~Shit, I forgot how shrill that kid can get. Eren's got nothing on Arlert when it comes to screaming.~_

Levi wondered briefly why in the hell Armin wasn't in the band with a set of pipes like that, but he supposed there was more to singing than just being able to make loud noises. Eren, though quite the screamer himself, had a gift for singing. He could scream like a banshee or sing like an angel. Arlert probably didn't share that gift.

Levi dropped thoughts of vocal ranges, and he straightened his body like a black arrow. He could feel the wind making his cheeks ripple, and he clenched his jaw tighter. So fast...the ground was approaching so fast. He intended to strike like a meteor, though. He heard someone yelling at him over the wind—his uncle.

"Levi, what are ya doing, asshole?! Use the chute!"

The agent managed a little smirk in the face of Kenny's uncommon anxiety. He knew what he was doing. Kenny might have more experience than him as a thug and a killer, but if there was one thing Levi knew best, it was how to use his maneuver gear. He heard Eren's urgent calls joining his uncle's, and his smirk faded. He didn't want to give his husband a heart attack.

A bit sooner than originally intended, Levi pulled the chord. The powerful jerk of his harness as the updraft caught the billowing material of his chute briefly took Levi's breath away. He made a choked sound that was torn away in the air. He caught his breath back a moment later, released the catch on his shoot once his descent was slowed enough, and fired his anchors. They slammed into the side of what remained of one of the towers, and with a burst of gas, Levi began spinning on the downswing directly toward one of the open panels were the first ground strike team was heading.

It was closing. It was closing far too fast, and some of the agents trying to get through it were forced to retreat.

"Shit!"

Levi could see his path being closed off to him, and he knew those panels were reinforced and couldn't easily be forced open without proper access. He tried to make it through, but it occurred to him that if he kept going, he would be shut off from the rest of his forces. He could hear gunfire from behind the rapidly closing panels, could hear the screams of men and women as they took bullets. Most of those cries belonged to the people on his side.

"Pull back," growled Levi into the headgear piece attached to his goggles. "Pull back! This way is blocked. We've got to try a different—"

"Up on the wall," broke in Moblit's voice over the communications. "Something's happening on the wall! They've got people being lined up, but they aren't armed."

Levi came to a landing, rolling to absorb the impact. He released his grapplers from their anchor point, and he looked up at the curved wall that Moblit spoke of. Kenny landed beside him first, followed by Eren. The others were quick to join them, each of them drawing pairing blades or guns and hunching down alertly. A bullet whizzed by Levi's head, and he dropped with a vile profanity. Someone's weight came down on top of him, and he recognized the scent of Eren's aftershave wafting up his nostrils.

"Oi brat, don't get your ass shot trying to guard me," protested Levi with a grunt.

Eren wasn't moving. For a moment, Levi had the terrifying notion that his spouse had taken a bullet trying to shield him. When he twisted a little and turned his head to look at the tanned face hovering over his shoulder, he saw that it wasn't injury that caused Eren's silence. Eren looked shocked. His bright gaze was affixed at something up above, and Levi followed his gaze upwards. Backlit by the morning sun was dozens of human silhouettes.

Levi squinted, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He raised a hand over his brow to shield it from the light. Most of the figures standing on the wall appeared to have their hands bound behind their backs, and they were hunched over. Other figures stood behind them, and in the middle of them all stood one that he immediately recognized. The light glinted on the man's oval glasses, and his blond hair was loose from the ponytail Levi had last seen it styled into.

"This is just what I was hoping for," called out Zeke, his gaze latching onto not Levi, not the rest of the opposition, but directly onto Eren. "I knew you would come, little brother. You couldn't help it. This wasn't how I'd originally planned it, but you're here now...thanks to that black-haired monster beneath you. I think—"

Gunfire rang out, and Zeke suddenly snapped back and slapped a hand over the left side of his face. There was a brief spray of blood, and when he righted himself, he pulled his hand away to stare at the red-painted palm incredulously.

"You've got a pretty mouth," Kenny yelled, staring down the smoking barrel of one of his two pistols. "Likes to talk a lot of shit. Maybe you ought to stifle it, blondie."

"You idiot," groused Levi, "Don't you realize what he's about to fucking do?"

Kenny evidently had no idea. He hadn't seen it happen before, and in truth nobody could blame him for taking a shot at their main target. Maybe he'd intended to stun and give a chance for someone else to move in, and that was exactly what happened. Levi saw her coming in with her blades raised before anyone else noticed it, and for a single moment, he felt a thrill go through him.

_~You crazed geek...you're actually gonna do it—~_

But Hange's exuberant shout gave warning before she could make the kill. She certainly looked impressive at first, coming in like the comet Levi had initially intended to impersonate. However, her banshee shriek alerted Zeke and his underlings just in time. He ducked, Hange missed her mark and she collided hard with one of the uniformed men waiting on the wall beside Zeke. They went down in a heap, and Levi actually grimaced at the sound of the impact.

To give her credit, Hange didn't stay down or surprised for long. She was back on her feet again in no time, and she kicked her adversary straight off the wall with a wild yell. Moblit came in for a landing behind her and he fired his gun, taking out two more enemy operatives. While the two of them engaged in combat with the uniformed people on the wall, Zeke regained his senses. He straightened up, stared down at Levi, and he gave a cracked smile that reminded the agent of the chillingly serene grin he'd used to give in his beast titan form.

"I didn't give you enough credit again, I see. You people are full of surprises, but I have a gift for you. You can guess what it is, can't you?"

Levi hadn't seen for himself how exactly Zeke had created his titan armies, but the large syringes now produced by the guards along the wall left little doubt in his mind of the man's intentions. He'd injected Erwin himself with a pair of similar delivery devices, just before he died himself. The people lined up on the wall were prisoners, and it didn't take a big imagination for him to figure out what their role in this might be.

_"Don't do it!"_

The cry was torn from him with a certainty of dread...the same cry he'd given to Mikasa when she tried to take what she thought was an opening in the female titan's defenses, just after Annie appeared to swallow Eren whole. He saw Zeke come up behind Hange with a knife, and he yelled in protest as that blade glinted in the sun, aimed for her unprotected back. At the same time, Zeke's men collectively jabbed their hapless prisoners in the back of the neck with the syringes they had on their person.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was about to happen next.

* * *

-To be continued


	16. Chapter 16

She heard Levi's nearly desperate protests from below, and she wondered what on earth could have provoked that sort of reaction from the notoriously crabby captain. Hange wasn't used to hearing Levi sound like that, and it was precisely for that reason that she took her attention off of her opponent just in time to notice the blade coming at her from behind. She turned and caught the wrist of her sneak attacker, clenching her teeth with a startled oath. The man's eyes were fixed and focused, but they betrayed his surprise and dismay as his attempt at stabbing her was abruptly foiled.

"Hange!"

Moblit's cry pierced through her battle lust, but she couldn't afford to divide her attention right now. Lightning crackled all along the top of the wall, and as Hange put her weight into forcing the knife away from her chest, she saw the lines of apparent prisoners begin to transform. She'd seen this happen before to captured citizens of the walls, back during the titan wars after Levi fell in battle.

"Oh, shit."

It was really the only appropriate response, and she could neither rejoin her lover nor do a damned thing to stop what was happening. The purpose behind the line of restrained prisoners Zeke and his allies had marched out onto the wall became horribly clear. They weren't just some random hostages. Those people were there for a very specific purpose, and it obviously had to do with genetics. Helpless to stop what was happening, all Hange could do was defend herself as one after the other, the bound prisoners were shoved off the wall mid-transformation.

"Levi," shouted Hange through gritted teeth, "get your blades ready!"

At the same time, Zeke unleashed a roar that almost could have come from his beast titan form. What had just moments ago been ordinary human hostages finished the transformation into malformed, giant humanoid monsters. They crashed to the ground below, crushing anyone unfortunate enough not to get out of the way in time. The impact hardly damaged their forcibly altered bodies, however. Dumbfounded agents allied with the UFI stared with horror at the monstrosities that had suddenly manifested right on top of them.

* * *

It was happening all over again. Eren felt like he'd just stepped in the past to witness the same nightmare he'd experienced as a scout, and he shouted a protest as one of the transformed titans grabbed up an agent before the man could get clear. It was already too late for the hapless man; he was bitten in half and swallowed before anyone near him could react. The titan responsible for the agent's demise drooled sloppily as it finished devouring him, blood mingling with the saliva hanging from the creature's double-chins.

"Zeke, you son of a bitch!"

Eren meant his insult quite literally, because he still had every reason in the world to hate the woman that had born his half-brother. True, Dina Fritz was as much a victim as any of the unfortunate people she'd killed as a titan, but Eren could not forget or forgive her for killing his mother. He could still envision it sometimes when he cast his thoughts back to that terrible day, watching his mother kick her broken legs and pound in futility at the giant hand wrapped around her midsection. Watching the grinning titan literally break Carla in half before putting her twitching body to mouth and devouring her.

As far as Eren was concerned, Zeke's mother was a bitch. Now the man was reviving the nightmare, turning people into cannibal monsters and taking delight in the path of death he caused. It was unforgivable, and that old rage boiled up within Eren once more. His eyes went from bright greet to molten golden in color as his emotions got the better of him, and the next sound that came from his throat was primal and ragged. He vaguely heard Levi shout something to him as he fired his grapplers into the wall beneath Zeke. He lacked the ability to comprehend language of any sort right now, though. Eren's thoughts were purely on the destruction of the creature that had taken so much from him in both lives.

* * *

"Shit...Eren, you idiot!"

Levi hastily fingered the triggers on his ODM gear as his spouse shot away from their position with a trail of gas. Eren didn't even seem to notice the two titans directly in his path. He was dangerously close to gettting snatched up by one of them, and he had no titan power to help him survive being devoured, this time.

Just as he had in the past, Levi put all of his focus into one singular goal: to protect Eren Jaeger. He sensed Mikasa's presence at his side as he launched into the air. That was fine by him. She was just as devoted to Eren's survival as Levi was, and having her at his side was just a bonus. To Levi's surprise, it wasn't Mikasa that made the first cut as they closed in on the threat to Eren. Rather, it was Armin Arlert. The kid screamed bloody murder as he boosted his gas and carved a gash out of the nape of the titan nearest to Eren. His aim was true, and the creature fell with a crash.

"Nice going," Levi hollered, impressed in spite of himself. He honestly hadn't been sure Armin had it in him to engage in this shit again, but the blond geek was quickly proving him wrong.

Armin didn't even seem to hear him. The kid was focused on the other titan reaching out for Eren now. His blond ponytail whipped in the air as he went for the next threat, and he yelled Eren's name. Sasha reached the target at the same time as Armin, and she cut its reaching fingers off before they could close around Eren. As for the singer, he was closing in on Zeke with startling speed. His challenging yell drew the antagonist's attention, and for the first time, Levi realized that Zeke was decked out in full ODM gear.

"Eren, wait!"

* * *

Eren had noticed the gear strapped to Zeke's body, but he hardly cared. So what if the asshole had a set of his own? Eren had been practicing, and he knew how to fight both titans and humans with it. He was set in his purpose; determined to put an end to this lunatic that had taken so much from him and his friends.

"Zeke!"

Perhaps shouting the man's name wasn't the best approach to engaging in combat with him, but Eren's adrenaline was pumping and he really didn't care about being stealthy. He wanted the bastard to see him coming, wanted Zeke to see his death approaching. There was no room for sneak attacks. Zeke had threatened his loved ones—especially the person Eren cared for the most. He intended to make a cut in Zeke's flesh for every moment the man had tormented his Levi.

It came as a bit of a shock when Eren found his pairing blade blocked by one almost identical to it, and he dove aside as Zeke retaliated with a swipe of the second blade. The bearded blond man looked maddeningly confident as he pressed the attack, and why shouldn't he? He had managed to play the UFI like a fiddle, turned Levi into his personal puppet and now had unleashed yet more titans into the world.

"You disgusting piece of shit," spat Eren, getting to his feet and crossing his blades to deflect Zeke's follow-up attack. "I'll make you regret ever being born again!"

"You don't even know why you're fighting me," challenged Zeke. "This isn't how I wanted things to go, Eren. I want you to know that. I'd have preferred you join me without a fight, but it looks like I'm going to have to use force after all."

It didn't make any damned sense to Eren, and he didn't try to rationalize it. Zeke's logic had ever been twisted. The man had never thought like anyone Eren had ever met. Zeke's morals were so compromised and clouded that no attempt to reason with him was ever likely to succeed. Words were a waste on such a creature, so Eren didn't bother trying. Instead, he focused on putting an end to him. He heard the titans below making their incoherent cries, heard the screams of men and women as the creatures made meals out of anyone unfortunate enough to be within their grasp. Growling, Eren came at Zeke again, and he tried to think like Levi.

_~Don't show the enemy your strengths or weaknesses. Don't be predictable. Watch their eyes for any hint of what they might do next, but don't reveal your own moves until it's time to make them.~_

It was so much easier in theory than it was in practice, though. Eren was livid; he was out for blood and he desperately wanted to wet his blades with Zeke's.

 _~How dare you. How_ fucking _dare you! You betrayed our dad, helped turn your own mother into a monster that devoured mine, led the assault on my people and took away everything that mattered to me! Now you come back and try to take it from me again? No! No, I won't let you!~_

He wasn't even aware that he'd started hollering his condemning thoughts out loud. He could see Zeke's lips moving, but nothing that came out of them made any sense. Eren was the attack titan now, in mind if not in form. His thoughts were driven by primal instinct, his conscience animalistic. It was all about the kill, all about making his enemy feel as much pain as possible. He didn't even notice Jean land behind him, and he couldn't immediately understand the guitarist's shouted words.

"...suicidal maniac! Watch your back!"

Eren turned in time to see Jean tackle an enemy agent that had been sneaking up on him. The din of rage in his head quieted enough for him to concentrate on his surroundings more, and Eren was surprised by the chaotic activity all around him. Everyone was embattled. Hange and Moblit were fighting off a group of Zeke's men. Levi was twirling through the air like a pinwheel, cutting down newly transformed titans close to Eren's location on the wall. Kenny—whom he'd forgotten about entirely—was up on one of the crumbling towers shooting down opposing ground forces. Jets and helicopters soared overhead, blasting holes into structures.

It had all happened so fast. What began as a relatively quiet strike against the enemy was now a raging war in each direction. Though Zeke's people didn't appear to have any aircrafts of their own to launch a counter-offensive against the UFI and Air Brigade forces, there were plenty of ground-to-air missiles being launched. One of the fighter jets on Erwin's team got hit and went down just outside the compound to the east. The crash was deafening, and Eren instinctively crouched as debris from the crash went flying. A piece of shrapnel flew past him, and it hit an enemy operative that had tried to approach. Zeke was crouching as well, holding his pairing blades up as an impromptu shield.

"Eren, get clear!"

Both Eren and Zeke looked up at the shout to see Levi descending with a fresh set of pairing blades. He'd taken off his safety goggles, or else they'd broken on him. His eyes were wide and fixated on Zeke, cold as ice with killing purpose. His pale face was streaked with steaming titan blood. Levi was hardly recognizable at that moment to Eren. He'd never been on the receiving end of such a look before, and it chilled him to think that the expression Levi was making was the last thing the captain's enemies saw in the world.

Zeke evidently found it upsetting as well. He jumped back defensively, wearing a faintly horrified expression on his face.

_~That's right; Levi's blades have cut into you before, haven't they? He got you good at least once before one of your pets bit his leg off.~_

Eren hated thinking back on that day...the day his lover faded before his eyes and passed away from blood loss despite Hange's efforts to save him. For a moment, the singer couldn't move or look away. Steel clashed and sparked as Levi's blades met Zeke's, just short of hacking into flesh. The agent didn't speak as he grimly pressed the attack. Levi's grunts of effort were the only sound me made as he attacked Zeke with startling speed. Again and again their weapons clashed, and Eren wondered how in the hell Zeke was managing to fend off such lightning-quick strikes. The man obviously didn't have his titan power, or he would have used it by now to transform. Either Zeke had done something medically to enhance his own speed, or he'd been practicing for some time with the ODM gear in anticipation of an encounter like this.

Eren heard a gasp come from Levi, and he saw a streak of red peaking out from a gash that had appeared on Levi's right upper sleeve.

_~Impossible! Zeke cut him?~_

As incredible as it seemed, Zeke had indeed managed to score a hit. Levi backed off defensively and righted himself, glancing down at the injury with mild surprise on his face. He then blocked his opponent's follow-up attack, kicking out at him a second later. His boot connected with Zeke's ribs, and the blond staggered breathlessly. Levi gave him no opportunity to recover; he was on him again in seconds. He had slowed down some, though. Maybe it was because of the injury, but it could easily be due to fatigue from taking out several titans before engaging Zeke.

_~But there's more to it than that. He's struggling!~_

Now Eren could see it in his husband's face. Something was wrong. Levi seemed to be having trouble concentrating, though Eren was sure he hadn't lost enough blood from that cut to weaken him. Looking at Zeke's determined expression, a horrifying thought came to Eren.

_~He's still got some kind of hold on him, even though we got that thing out of Levi's brain that Zeke put in there to control him.~_

Hange had theorized that they'd used a combination of hypnosis and the device to control Levi, and it looked like she was right. Eren didn't think Zeke could be using the coordinate to weaken Levi this way, otherwise he would have had no reason to come after him. Zeke obviously thought Eren still had his coordinate, and he wanted access to it. That meant that sometime during Levi's captivity while they were manipulating his mind, Zeke might have done further conditioning to make Levi less of a threat to him.

"Levi, don't give in!" Eren joined his spouse in the attack, desperate to ensure Zeke wouldn't get another lucky hit in. He couldn't stand by and watch his captain get taken from him again. He would die before he allowed such a thing.

He was so focused on pressing the attack that Eren didn't even notice an agent behind him getting cleanly shot in the head by gunfire. He didn't see Kenny coming in...had forgotten all about the man, actually. More gunfire rang out, and Zeke shouted as blood sprayed from his shoulder. He'd been doing well to fend off Levi's attacks and he'd managed to dodge Eren's, but in the process he got grazed by one of Kenny's bullets.

"Another Ackerman?" Zeke called when he realized where the shot had come from.

"What, did ya forget about me?" shouted Kenny back. "I'm insulted. I even drew first blood!"

Zeke briefly touched the gash in his face from Kenny's earlier shot. He looked around quickly, assessing the situation. Evidently he didn't like the direction this fight was heading, and he yelled out in that rough, primal voice he'd used earlier when transforming his victims into titans. There were seven of them left as far as Eren could count, but one was in the process of being cut down by Mikasa and Connie. The drummer had hamstrung it, and Mikasa went high and finished off the nape. The remaining six came charging for the wall, and one of them jumped up and caught the edge of it. Wide, blank eyes stared up at Zeke as the titan began to haul itself up.

"No you don't," growled Eren, guessing Zeke's intention was to use the titans defensively to protect himself and cover his escape. He could see only one option available that might prevent that, and he could tell that the fight was leaving his spouse too quickly. Eren was sure now that Levi had been conditioned not to attack Zeke, and some of that conditioning still remained despite all they'd done to help him recover.

"Levi, can you take care of that one? I'll make sure Zeke doesn't get away."

Levi's tired gray eyes met Eren's, and then he looked at the titan trying to climb up there to them. He nodded, backing out of the fight wearily. Eren wished he could keep an eye on him to ensure he would be okay, but he couldn't take his attention off of Zeke. If they lost him now, this whole thing could start all over again. He had to make sure that didn't happen.

"I don't remember if I beat you before," Eren told his despised half-brother, "but I'm going to make sure I do it this time! You're not going anywhere, Zeke."

"You can't remember?" The news seemed to surprise Zeke a little. "We killed each other, Eren. Neither one of us 'won'."

Eren suspected it was a lie, but then a flashback came to him...one that had been eluding him for all this time. He saw in his mind's eye Zeke's titan form before him, glaring at him. Their hands were locked together, wrestling with each other. Both of them were snapping and growling, trying to get to each other's napes. Both trying to devour the other to receive all of the titan abilities.

Something happened, though. Their skin started to harden, and a glow began to suffuse them. It was similar to what had nearly happened with Annie when Eren bested her. It was like they were fusing together, and now that he had that memory back, Eren couldn't get it out of his head. Zeke had been scared. For the first time, his fear had shown in his simian features, and that told Eren that no matter what happened, he couldn't let the other shifter get free of him.

"We merged," Eren said with a frown, staring unblinkingly at Zeke. "Our titan forms fused together and hardened. That's what killed us."

"That's what put us in hibernation," corrected Zeke. "We never awoke from it, so I assume something else happened while we were encased."

Eren couldn't agree or disagree with that. Like Annie, both he and Zeke had been put in a stasis and for whatever reason, they never came back out of it. Maybe time and nature had just eroded their bodies until they crumbled to dust. Maybe their bodies simply couldn't survive indefinitely in that state. Eren had never gotten the chance to get any answers from Annie; she'd still been in her crystal stasis when he fought his last battle. So many questions had never been answered, but none of that really mattered, now.

"Whatever happened, you still came back and fucked with my life," he pointed out grimly, "and I'm not going to let you get away with that."

Eren risked a glance at Levi to ensure he was all right. The small man was cutting off the fingers of the titan that had nearly scaled the wall, and he launched into the air to finish it off as it started to fall. He seemed to be moving much faster now that he wasn't fighting whatever compulsion Zeke still had on him. Mikasa and the others were rushing to join him, and Hange and Moblit were keeping Zeke's allies busy.

_~It's just us now, like before. I'm the only one free to stop Zeke from getting away.~_

"Just tell me why," demanded Eren. "Why did you do all of this? What did you have to gain from it?"

"You already know that." Zeke grinned. "You're the only one on this planet besides me that has a natural ability to control titans, even if you still haven't figured out how to use that power yet."

"I don't have it," snapped Eren. "Don't you get that? I don't _have_ the coordinate anymore."

"Yes you do!"

"No," reiterated the singer, "I don't! Hange got rid of it after Reiss did his experiments on me, asshole! It's gone for good, whether you want to believe it or not!"

Although in that moment, Eren wished he really did still have the coordinate as Zeke kept insisting. He would have loved the chance to turn the sadistic bastard's own titans against him, just to see the look on Zeke's face.

"It's over," stated Eren coldly, raising his blades in an offensive pose. "Your forces are being beaten, and there's nowhere for you to run. I'll give you the chance to surrender and come willingly, but I don't mind carrying out justice myself if you want to keep putting up a fight."

Zeke's cocky expression died as he stared into Eren's unwavering gaze. He saw the truth in the singer's eyes, and doubt soon became an expression of pure rage. Eren could see the exact moment when Zeke realized that he was telling the truth about the coordinate being gone. He could see the swell of frustration grow when the man finally understood that all of his work had been for nothing.

Zeke didn't say anything. He was upon Eren so fast, it was all the singer could do to avoid having his head cut off. Any intentions Zeke had before to spare his life for his own purposes was clearly gone, now. Without the coordinate ability, Eren obviously wasn't worth anything to him. His slashing attacks were so strong that they forced Eren to the edge of the wall. He lost his balance, and he had no choice but to fire his grapplers as he fell. Only one of them anchored properly into the wall, and as Eren came to a jerking halt against the side of it, the line snapped.

"Fu—"

The expletive was only half-blurted before Eren fired his remaining grappler a second time, desperate to stop his fall. It took this time, and he swung like a pendulum on it. Zeke was coming at him, his gear trailing a cloud of hissing gas. Evidently his ODM gear was a bit dated compared to the design Levi had come up with for everyone to use. That was of no help to Eren, though. More advanced or not, his gear was now busted and he'd somehow broken one of his blades on the way down. He tried to steady himself as he moved to replace it, having only seconds to act before his opponent would be on him again.

_~Crap, he's going to reach me before I can defend!~_

And all of his allies, including Levi, were engaged in battle and wouldn't be able to reach him in time even if they knew Eren's peril. This was not how he wanted this life to end. He wanted the chance to grow old with Levi. He wanted to live out his life with him until they were both wizened old farts sitting on the porch together and complaining of arthritis. He wanted to die warm in his bed with his arms around the man he loved. He wasn't even thirty yet, and he was about to be cut down by the greatest monster history had ever produced. It wasn't fair.

The clinging rattle of artillery fire interrupted Eren's lamenting. It seemed to come from out of nowhere, peppering the wall right above him just before Zeke would have been within striking distance. Eren was forced to shut his eyes as shattered mortar rained down on his face, and he realized the roar he was hearing came from a fighter jet making a pass overhead. More machine gun fire rang out, forcing Zeke to change his trajectory to avoid getting blown full of holes.

Eren shook his head to get the debris off his face, and he looked up as the shadow of the airplane passed over him. With a little start, he realized it was Erwin's jet. He'd forgotten about the commander in all the confusion and action. The jet rolled in the air and came back to shoot at Zeke again, driving him back up the wall. Eren watched as Erwin and Mike shooed his enemy away from him with their aircraft's artillery, firing rounds down at him to steer him well away from the imperiled singer. They were herding him, he realized. The bullets skipped off the surface of the top of the wall just at Zeke's feet, forcing him to keep moving and keeping him from reaching any sort of cover.

It was a brilliant move, but Eren rather wished they would just finish him off instead of chasing him like a cat with a mouse.

"Just kill him," yelled the singer, though there was no way the two pilots aboard that jet could have heard his shout. "He's too dangerous! Blow him away!"

Unfortunately, Erwin's plane seemed to run out of ammunition. It hovered over Zeke, and he backed away from it toward the opposite edge of the wall. Eren growled and started reeling in his line, looking for another anchor spot to help him get back up there to finish the job himself. He cussed when he felt the grappler start to give. It would soon break free of its anchor if he kept putting pressure on it.

"Shit!"

Just as he feared, the hook came loose from the wall just as he was within five feet of it. He started to fall again, and his life flashed before his eyes once more. Someone caught him around the waist in a tight hug from behind, squeezing the breath from his lungs. He was airborne once more, carried by someone else with gear that had reached him in the nick of time.

"Got you, Eren! Hah, that was close!"

Hange was his rescuer. She must have seen his predicament and broke away from the fighting to come to his aid. He was immensely grateful for that, and as she loosed her anchors to re-fire them into the only remaining tower still left in one piece, they soared over Zeke. He was looking around frantically for an escape route, and he seemed to spot one. He started running away from Erwin's hovering ship, and just as he reached a spot at the edge of the wall, a helicopter ascended before him. He came to a flailing halt, barely stopping himself in time to avoid plunging over the edge.

Nanaba's voice came out of the loud speaker attached to the chopper.

"Stand down, Zeke. I've still got enough rounds left in my artillery to save us the hassle of a trial, if you make one more move."

Hange landed against the side of the tower with a grunt, and she and Eren watched from their perch as Zeke got surrounded on all sides. Levi and Kenny reached him on foot, while two more choppers from the allied fleet circled around above. There was definitely nowhere for Zeke to go now. Levi was covered head to toe in titan blood, his clothing ripped in a couple of places. He was breathing heavily but steady, glaring at Zeke through tangled, blood-soaked bangs. Both of his remaining blades were heavily notched from his final kills, but they were still sharp enough to run Zeke through if it came to that.

"You...monster..."

Eren saw Zeke's lips form the words as the former beast titan stared at Levi with helpless frustration. He couldn't hear if his husband said anything in response to that, and from his vantage point, he couldn't see Levi's mouth. Eren thought for a moment that Levi might forgo taking Zeke into custody and kill him in cold blood, right there in front of everyone. He could see the tension in the captain's strong, narrow shoulders. He saw Levi's fingers twitch on the grips of his pairing blades, and he could tell Levi was just itching to use them.

"Don't," whispered Eren, aggrieved. As much as Zeke deserved to meet his end on the edge of Levi's blades, killing him now would bring about consequences. Zeke had dropped his weapons. He was unarmed, and it looked like he was surrendering. If Levi finished him off now, it would be considered murder. He could end up in prison at worst and lose his job at best. Killing Zeke in the heat of battle or in self-defense would have been different, but now he was a prisoner.

"Hange, we've got to get down there," Eren begged, seeing Levi take a step toward his vanquished half-brother. He didn't give a damn about Zeke's life, but he didn't want Levi to ruin his.

"We'd never make it in time to stop him," guessed Hange, evidently coming to the same conclusion as Eren. "Damn it grump, don't do it."

"Remove your gear and put your hands up," ordered Nanaba when Zeke didn't move. "You've got ten seconds to comply before we use force."

Zeke looked down over the edge of the wall, and then he looked up at Eren. He gave the singer a shrug, and then he took a running leap. Eren shouted in shock as Zeke free-fell from the wall without even attempting to use his ODM gear to stop his fall. He thought he could hear the crunch of the impact as Zeke's body hit the pavement below, his twisted limbs twitching briefly before going still. He'd landed right beside the last remaining titan just as Jean finished it off, and the guitarist shouted in surprise. Being the closest person in proximity, Jean leaped off the shoulder of his prey and went to Zeke's broken body. He squatted beside it with a bloodied grimace, and he looked up at the wall where Levi stood motionless. Jean shook his head, confirming that Zeke hadn't survived the fall.

"Well," breathed Hange, eyebrows raised behind her squared goggles, "I guess he won't be giving us any more trouble."

"I...guess not," agreed Eren, hardly believing it. He half expected to see the crackle of green-gold lightning, followed by the form of the beast titan rising up from the dust. It didn't happen, though. Though Zeke had found a way to turn people into titans and had apparently retained some of his old abilities, shifting wasn't one of them. He was an ordinary man now, without accelerating healing or the ability to turn himself into a terrifying form capable of hurling boulders the size of trucks. He didn't rise from where he'd fallen. He stayed motionless, and his empty eyes stared sightlessly up at the sky. Eren could tell his neck was broken. He definitely wasn't getting back up from that fall.

"Let's get you down there to your honey," suggested Hange in a strained voice. "I'm afraid I'll lose my grip and drop you if we hang around up here much longer."

Eren nodded in agreement, speechless. It felt surreal to him. He couldn't absorb the fact that it ended so quickly, and they didn't lose a single person in this strike. The ground teams were already bringing prisoners out from inside of the facility, some in lab coats and others in uniform. Erwin landed his plane outside the compound, probably with the intention of overseeing the collection of prisoners and documenting names and ranks.

"Take me down to Zeke first," requested Eren when Hange prepared to get them down off the tower wall. "I need to see him up close to be sure."

"If it'll help you sleep better, sure."

* * *

Levi stood still as a statue, watching from the top of the wall as his husband and Hange descended to the pavement below to confirm Zeke's death for themselves. His mind felt a bit clouded, his body too stiff. It wasn't his conscience that had stopped him from chopping Zeke up into little pieces. He'd been fully prepared to make the killing blow, but his body hadn't obeyed his mind's demands. It was strange, because when he first engaged Zeke he had no trouble moving, but then his limbs started feeling uncommonly heavy and he heard a whispering in the back of his mind. Even after everything he'd done to rid himself of the man's influence, Zeke still had some kind of hold on him.

And his death wasn't nearly satisfying enough for Levi, because Zeke had chosen it himself. Levi felt cheated by that, and the only consolation for him was the certainty that Zeke Yeager could no longer pull his strings. He was free, at last.

"You okay kid?"

Levi didn't turn at the sound of his uncle's voice in his ear. He kept staring down at the sprawled remains of his enemy, his face void of expression.

"Yeah. Fine."

Armin came up beside them, and as usual, he had insight of his own to give. "It all seems to be so much of a waste. Did he even say what his motivation for all of this was? Surely he had some ultimate goal besides causing some havoc."

"He wanted Eren," answered Levi stiffly. "I don't know what he planned to do after that. Maybe his whole aim all along was just to get revenge for all the trouble we caused him in the past."

"Well, whatever his aim was, he's sure as shit not gonna tell us now," observed Kenny.

"There could still be remnants of his allies out there somewhere," cautioned Armin, "though I hope the prisoners they're rounding up will cooperate and give them any information they might have."

Levi finally tore his gaze off of Zeke's body, and he turned a little to watch his allies bring out more detainees. He recognized the woman that had played the role of a nurse, the one that claimed to have found him injured and brought him to her home for medical care. His eyes narrowed, and he nodded at her.

"That one. Someone tell Smith to interrogate her first. I know she was in on it the whole time, and she was here whenever I checked in between missions."

"Say, I recognize her too." Kenny cocked his head and frowned. "Can't think of where from, but I've seen her before."

Levi grunted. "Tch. Probably when they brainwashed you. I think she's one of the scientists on the team responsible for doing that shit. If there are any more sleeper agents out there we need to know about, she might know who they are."

Kenny took his hat off and scratched the back of his head. "Pretty fucking unsettling to know someone could trash my mind like that."

"No shit," agreed Levi, fully empathizing with his uncle. Though the main threat was gone now, he knew it would be a while before he could sleep peacefully again. He'd been traumatized by his ordeals and like it or not, it had an effect on him. He wouldn't rest easy until every single person involved in these events was rounded up and accounted for.

Eren and Hange came up the wall, and as they touched down, Eren immediately went to his husband. The singer stopped before Levi and stared at him, his bright, green-gold eyes searching Levi's body for injuries.

"Are you hurt anywhere besides your arm?" asked Eren after inspecting him for a moment.

"No. Most of it's titan blood." For the first time, Levi considered what a mess he must be. The hot, acidic titan blood had eaten through some of the material on his clothes here and there before dissolving to the air. It had been a while since he'd been so covered in it, and the material his modern clothes were made of wasn't as resilient to the substance as his old uniforms used to be.

"Disgusting," he muttered, looking down at himself. There was a tear in his shirt across his chest, and the sticky blood still lingering there painted a gory slash on his exposed skin.

Eren put his hands on Levi's shoulders, and when the smaller man looked back up at him again, the singer was smiling. Eren didn't look disgusted by his appearance at all, though Levi knew his hair was matted with blood and his face was covered with it.

"No," informed Eren softly. "Perfect."

Levi's tension eased, his eyes softening on his spouse. He had no verbal response for the observation. He could see the admiration shining in Eren's eyes, just as he'd seen it the very first time they'd met while Levi stood atop the carcass of one of the titans he brought down to save Eren and his friends.

Levi parted his lips in an attempt to say something, but nothing would come out. Eren's face descended to his, and he kissed Levi softly on the lips without hesitation or apology.

* * *

Once everything was secured, they boarded Nanaba's chopper to return back to headquarters. Mike stayed behind to oversee the transport of the prisoners, and Erwin brought Levi, Hange and Moblit with him for the debriefing. Their superiors weren't thrilled to hear that the main instigator couldn't be captured and brought back alive, but they granted vacation time to all participants and the promise that Levi would again have his full position back and his probation would be abolished. The one condition he had to abide by was to continue going to counseling each week for the next six months, just to be cautious.

Eren was happy to hear this news, though as far as he was concerned, Levi deserved more than a week's time off work. He made the best of it though, and he booked a trip to the mountains and reserved a cabin for them to enjoy a quiet vacation, just them and the dogs. Their first night at home after the raid was a rather sober one. Both men had thoughts weighing heavily on their mind concerning what results might come of prisoner interrogation. Eren nearly invited his mother to come over for dinner, but he decided it was better to schedule it on the night before they left for their vacation. Levi needed a chance to unwind and though he loved Madeline, Eren didn't think it was good for him to be bombarded with the questions she doubtlessly had about the mission.

They ordered takeout from the Italian restaurant Eren liked, and they enjoyed a quiet meal together at their dining table. Eren kept glancing Levi's way, wanting to ask how he was feeling but wary of getting on his nerves. Freshly bathed and dressed in a comfortable ensemble of a band t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, Levi looked ridiculously cute to him. Maybe it was because the shirt he was wearing was in fact one of Eren's, and it was oversized on Levi.

"What is it about 'boyfriend shirts'?" Eren said at last, watching his spouse sprinkle some parmesan over his gnocchi dumplings.

"Meaning?" Levi took a small, experimental bite and regarded Eren questioningly.

"I mean why is it such a turn-on?" Eren looked the smaller man up and down, his mouth curving into a little grin. "I'm not the only guy crazy about seeing my babe wearing my clothes. It's actually a thing. Lots of guys love it. Don't you?"

Levi considered the question. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, shrugged and reached for his glass of wine. "Never thought about it much. Maybe you should wear something of mine and we'll test that theory. It'll be pretty tight on you, though. Hmm...tight might not be a bad thing."

Eren chuckled. He imagined a pair of Levi's pants on him might look kind of ridiculous, since they'd probably be too short even if he could squeeze into them. Maybe a shirt, though. "How about you pick something out after dinner and I'll try it on, then?"

"Sure, if you want me to." Levi's sleepy gaze caressed Eren's form. "I think I've got just the thing."

* * *

Later that night, Levi took Eren up on his suggestion. He picked out a muscle shirt that was even a little snug on him, and he hid a smirk as he watched Eren put it on. It took a bit of effort on the singer's part, but eventually he got it fitted and he stood there uncertainly, wearing only the small black undershirt and a pair of white boxer briefs.

"Um, this really is tight on me."

Leaning back against the bedroom door, Levi folded his arms over his chest. Yeah, it was tight in all the right ways. The shirt was also too short to fully cover Eren's stomach, and his belly button and lower abs were exposed. On Levi, that shirt would have covered him to the hips. Eren had a longer torso than he did, though.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Eren blinked at him as Levi held up the mobile phone he'd brought in with him and aimed its camera feature.

"Taking a picture, idiot. What's it look like?"

Eren blushed like an adolescent. "You're not planning on posting that on some social blog, right?"

"Heh. When have you ever known me to blog, Eren? No, you don't have to worry about me posting underwear pics of you online. This is for my personal viewing only. Might make the hours go by a little faster for me when I go back to work."

Levi checked the photo he'd taken, and he looked at Eren again thoughtfully. "Turn around for me, would you? I want an ass shot, too."

Eren hesitated until Levi raised a brow at him. With a little sigh, he turned around as instructed. Now that he wasn't facing him, Levi allowed himself a subtle grin. Eren might think he looked stupid, but that was far from the truth. In fact it was a challenge for Levi to resist grabbing the singer's tight, firm ass as he snapped another picture.

"Nice. Okay, turn around again."

Eren did so, and the color was still high in his cheeks. "So you really like this?"

Levi answered him in a non-verbal but very clear way. He put his phone down on the dresser, closed the distance between them and slid his hands up under the stretched hem of the muscle shirt. He kissed Eren's throat as he felt him up, enjoying the hard knots of muscle beneath his palms.

"Mmm," he purred, tracing the singer's lips with the tip of his tongue. Eren's arms went around him, and his mouth parted to give Levi access. The smaller man delved his tongue in sensually, swirling it against Eren's before stroking the roof of his mouth with it. Eren's embrace tightened around him, and Levi stroked his hands lower. He cupped Eren's hips and pulled him tightly up against him, pressing his hardening groin lustfully against Eren's thigh.

_~Make me forget, brat. Take my mind off my failure to get my vengeance on that piece of shit for what he tried to do to us.~_

If anyone was capable of doing such a thing, it was Eren. He proved to Levi that he was more than willing to take up the challenge, even though Levi hadn't voiced the demand out loud. Apparently forgetting his embarrassment over what he was wearing, Eren squeezed Levi's ass and lifted him up. He grunted softly at the agent's weight as Levi wrapped his thighs around him and put his arms around his neck. Eren shuffled over to the bed with his clinging burden, and they went down together on the mattress.

"No, Luka," called Eren when there was a scratch at the door. "Not tonight, boy."

There was a soft whine, and then the scratching ceased. Both of the dogs knew better than to keep trying to get in when they'd been refused entry. Every once in a while Levi would agree to let them sleep in the bed with them, but that was a rare occasion usually brought about by Eren begging him to make an exception. Glad his husband wasn't going to cave to the dogs' request, Levi kissed him harder.

"Oi, where are you going?" gasped Levi huskily when Eren started sliding down his prone body. "I'm not done kissing you."

"You can kiss me more in a little while," insisted Eren. He tugged Levi's gray pajama pants down to expose him, and then he pulled them off smoothly. Eren paused for a moment to stare at the agent's swollen cock, and then he pushed Levi's thighs apart without explanation.

"Ahh...y-you..." Speech failed Levi as Eren licked his erection from root to tip. His fingers tangled into the other man's hair, and he watched the tip of his sex vanish into Eren's sucking mouth. Levi shuddered as his spouse began to blow him. The gem-bright green of Eren's eyes caught and held Levi's gaze, staring up at him from Eren's intimate position between his thighs.

This wasn't exactly what Levi was expecting, but he sure as hell wasn't going to complain. He liked it when Eren took initiative, after all. He could always switch roles with him later on. Levi groaned, his thighs being pushed open wider by his insistent lover. His head fell back against the pillow and he closed his eyes, sufficiently distracted by Eren's talented sucking.

It didn't take long for Eren's attentions to make Levi come. Every pass of his lips and swipe of his tongue shook the agent to the core, and when he reached completion and shouted Eren's name, the singer greedily swallowed every drop Levi had to give him. After licking him clean, Eren lay down beside his dazed husband and stroked his chest as he caught his breath. Eren's lips were warm and soft against the side of Levi's neck, and he turned his head to capture them in a kiss.

"That was a nice surprise," admitted Levi, his tone sated and low.

Eren grinned, kissed him again and then propped himself up on one elbow. "I like surprising you. You make the sweetest noises when you're taken off guard, Captain."

Levi flushed. It seemed no matter how hard he tried to stifle himself, Eren always managed to bring out the vocalizations in him. "I think I sound like I'm taking a dump."

"Come on, don't be like that." Eren traced the tip of Levi's nose with a fingertip, still smiling down at him. "You sound like a man overcome with pleasure. It's hot, especially when you start calling my name and whimpering."

"I don't whimper."

"Sure you do. It's a sexy whimper, though. Lets me know I'm pushing all of your buttons just right." Eren licked the smaller man's chin, and he slid his hand up under Levi's partly hiked-up, borrowed t-shirt. "I want to fuck you in this. Just this shirt, and nothing else."

"You weren't kidding about being turned on by me in your shirt," observed Levi dryly. "Maybe I want to fuck you, though."

Eren nibbled Levi's ear, drawing a shiver from him. "You sure? Seems like you're pretty docile tonight."

Levi fought a groan. Eren knew his moods all too well now, and he couldn't deny he wanted his cock. He lifted his hips impulsively when Eren's hand slipped down between his legs to briefly cup his balls. His breath caught when the calloused fingers petted the sensitive pucker beneath the sack.

"All right, have it your way," breathed Levi, clenching impulsively in reaction to the tickling caress.

Eren kissed him again, and he reached for the bedside table on his side to pull the drawer open and get the lubricant. He immediately started preparing Levi for him, his long, hard length rubbing against the agent's hip as he fingered him. Levi gripped the shaft and stroked it, kissing Eren back with greater enthusiasm by the moment. He was half erect again by the time Eren stopped fingering him and eased his hips between his spread thighs.

Levi gazed up at his husband as Eren nudged into him slowly. He could tell by the determined cast of his face that Eren had changed his mind about the pace of this encounter. He didn't want to fuck him anymore; he wanted to make love to him. Levi didn't protest. Slow loving from Eren was just as good as a frantic, intense screw. Levi embraced that tanned form hovering over him, and he bit his lip as Eren's length pressed deeper into him. He bore down with it to make the penetration go more smoothly, and he held Eren's gaze. When the taller man was inside of him to the hilt, Levi released the breath he was holding and he stroked Eren's spine.

"Levi," sighed Eren in appreciation.

He kissed and nibbled the smaller man's lips, pulling back a little before thrusting deep again. His breath hitched, and he started moving sinuously. Levi also started to gasp, rolling his hips encouragingly. God, it felt good. It had been a while since they'd done it this way. There was a different kind of intensity to this slow, tender pace. Levi could feel every hard inch of his husband's dick acutely, gliding smoothly inside of him and pressing against his sweet spot with each pump. Eren bowed his head and trembled, picking up the pace just a little bit. Levi grabbed the singer's ass, squeezing it encouragingly.

"Hah...hah...fuck, feels so good," he found himself moaning. He was fully erect now, and moisture was gathering on the tip of his cock as it brushed against the treasure trail leading from under Eren's navel to his crotch. His skin was smooth as satin beneath Levi's gripping hands, flexing rhythmically with his pumps.

"You like it, baby?" panted Eren into Levi's ear. "I could...keep this up a while. Mmm...so tight..."

His erotic words made a thrill go through Levi. Coupled with the sensations Eren was giving him, it was shaking his composure rapidly. He clenched his teeth to fight another moan, and he let go of Eren's backside to squeeze the pillow. Eren grabbed his wrists and pinned them over Levi's head, adding a hint of aggression to their lovemaking. Levi did groan then, straining a bit under the bigger man's hold. It got him hot fast, and he started panting Eren's name.

"More," husked Eren. "Give me more, Captain. Let me hear your cries."

"Nnnhh...oh..." Once again, Levi was helpless to deny his partner's demands. The sounds began to pour from his lips. He bit down on them in an attempt to control the volume, and Eren tugged at his lip gently with his teeth to free it.

"No," gasped Eren. "Don't hold back on me."

Levi arched beneath him as the next thrust massaged him perfectly inside. He tossed his head and moaned, squeezing Eren around the waist with his thighs. He thought he heard and felt the shifter's back pop, and he forced himself not to squeeze any harder for fear that he would do him real injury. Levi broke into a sweat, his chest heaving with his labored gasps. He opened his eyes again to look up at his companion, and the expression on Eren's handsome face proved to be his undoing. Eren had a five o-clock shadow because he hadn't shaved since the previous morning. Levi normally didn't go for scruffy looks, but on his shitty brat in this moment, it was sexy.

"Fucking hell," growled Levi. He lifted his head off the pillow to suck and bite at Eren's chest, his body tensing helplessly. He came for the second time since they'd started getting intimate, making a mess all over his and Eren's torsos.

Eren was evidently more than pleased with the outcome. He started thrusting a little harder, his jaw tight and his eyes blazing golden. His breath started hitching in a familiar way, a flush spreading over his face. He groaned and buried his face against the crook of Levi's neck, spouting low, rough cries as his own climax approached.

"Oh god...Levi!"

Still a bit stunned by his orgasm, the captain pulled one of his favorite tricks and worked his inner muscles around the singer's hard length. Eren's guttural moans picked up in frequency and volume. A few more pumps, and he went still and tense over Levi. The warmth of his cum filled the smaller man and his length pulsed inside of him. Eren trembled as he rode it out, lifting up to stare at Levi as it ran its course. He seemed to be holding his breath, and then he released it in a rush and closed his eyes.

Levi brushed his spouse's mussed hair out of his eyes, enjoying the sight of his expression. He hadn't even realized Eren released his hold on his wrists until that moment, he was so into the encounter. As vanilla sex went, it was always just as good as the kinky stuff with Eren. Levi smirked as Eren collapsed on top of him, and he kept stroking his hair.

"Good boy," whispered the agent with a sigh, finally regaining some of his self-control.

"Back at you," came the muffled response.

They lay that way for a while until they both recovered, and Eren thoughtfully retrieved the damp wipes they always kept near at hand. As usual, the singer lovingly wiped Levi off before doing the same for himself and tossing the soiled wipes. He lay down beside his husband and he stared at him silently, his mouth curved into a blissful little smile.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," murmured Levi lazily.

"I would, if I had my phone with me." Eren sat up with a grunt, surveying the bedding. "We didn't do too bad, this time. I don't think we got any on the sheets."

Levi also checked, though by now he knew he could trust Eren's judgment on whether something needed changing. He'd gotten very good at telling when his husband would deem something dirty—which usually didn't take much.

"Yeah, will wonders never cease." Levi sat up as well, and he stretched leisurely. His cares were quelled for now, though he knew it wouldn't last. No matter; if they had to fuck like bunnies to keep him distracted from dwelling on his ordeal, he knew Eren would be up for it. The kid had a dick that just wouldn't quit.

"Heh."

"What?" Eren smiled at him curiously, delighted as always to hear that little sound of amusement coming from Levi.

Levi shook his head. He already extolled Eren's virility enough. Too much praise might give the brat an ego problem. "Just amazed we didn't get any spunk on the bedding this time. I suppose that's one advantage to a slow fuck."

Eren reached out to trace the shell of Levi's ear with his fingertip, making it tingle. "I enjoyed that, Levi. I know it's not your favorite way to do it, but making love to you is always so rewarding."

"Don't worry, it's grown on me," assured Levi. He left it at that, though inwardly he was thinking of how Eren always managed to spice it up just enough to keep it erotic, not boring. "You did good, by the way."

"Well, I always try to please you."

"I mean against Zeke." Levi met his gaze. He hadn't intended to bring that shit up, especially right after sex. He thought Eren at least deserved to know he'd handled himself well, though.

Suddenly shy, Eren glanced away. "I'd say you were paying me lip service if I didn't know any better. I messed up."

"How?" Levi cocked his head a little. "You faced off against him alone, and even I can admit his fighting skills were well above average. You didn't back down, you kept your head and to be honest, you probably saved my ass. So what if your gear failed you? It happens sometimes, no matter how skilled the user is."

Eren looked at him again uncertainly, and Levi sighed. "You said yourself that I don't do lip service, brat. Take the compliment. I'm proud of the way you handled yourself."

The uncertainty faded from Eren's eyes, and he smiled. "Yeah? Well, I have a very good mentor."

Levi ruffled his hair affectionately. This was about the extent of how much praise he could give someone, and he was glad it seemed to be enough for his spouse.

* * *

-To be continued


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the update delay, and thank you for reading!

On the day before he and Eren were scheduled to go on their vacation, Levi discovered that the woman going by the name Susan Daniels was actually named Kimberly Manchester. Though he wasn't due to return to work for a week, he went to headquarters anyway and arranged to visit her in holding. He kept his expression stony and neutral as he sat down across from her, and she looked utterly terrified. He had to reassure her that she wouldn't be harmed, and he didn't take what she did personally.

"I can tell you were in a bad situation," he reasoned with her. "I might not be as good as one of my associates at reading people, but I know evil when I see it, and you don't strike me as that type. Don't expect me to get all touchy-feely or go too easy on you, but I'm not here to torture you for information. Let's make that clear right away."

She swallowed and nodded. "I...understand."

Levi checked a sigh. Despite his words, a part of him did harbor anger with this woman. She'd managed to fuck with his head and make him think he was going insane. Sometimes though, people got backed into corners and had to do terrible things to survive. He could empathize with that, at least.

"So your real name is Kimberly Manchester. Is that right?"

"Yes sir."

He met her gaze levelly. "And if my people look up that name and do some digging, what are they gonna find?"

"I was working in a research center for brain trauma," answered the young woman readily. "Neurosurgery was my main study focus."

"So how'd you end up working with the BRS and Zeke?"

"I got approached by some people about my work. They offered an impressive salary if I would join their organization and work with them. I didn't go for it at first, but they were...persistent."

"They threatened you?" Levi didn't find that hard to believe.

"They showed me what they were capable of. They stole my identity. I couldn't access my accounts, couldn't use my credit cards, couldn't get my pay from the research center. Eventually I had no choice. I joined to get my life back, but my real name on record is probably going to show me as deceased."

"Figured as much." Levi tapped his fingertips on the surface of the table. "So they coerced you into recruitment and staged your death, then gave you a new identity."

"Yes sir."

"And do you know exactly what they did to me when they brought me in? Think you could give a full recount of it, step by step?"

"Not all of it, no." She practically shrank under his annoyed glare. "Mr. Ackerman, my part in the mind alteration process was mostly surgical and chemical. Mr. Packard...I mean Zeke...he did the rest. I didn't have the clearance to witness his methods. I documented everything I did, though."

"Where are these documents?"

"They would be in the facility database," she answered. "I'm sure you've already got people scouring them. I could give you access codes to make their job easier, as long as I'm promised a fair trial and the return of my real identity."

"That's easier said than done," Levi informed her. "The trial I can promise, but bringing a dead woman back to life on public records might be a little tricky. It's also not my field, so that's a deal you'll have to work out with my superiors."

"Can you arrange it with them?"

Levi stared at her. "I could get things started, but I can't guarantee anything. It might not matter anyway, because you know you're going to end up doing time for this. Are you sure you want that to go on your public record under your old name? Could make it hard for you to pick up the pieces and get back into your career later down the road."

That seemed to get through to her in a bad way. She looked somewhat devastated by the reality of it, in fact. She put her face in her hands and sniffed, obviously fighting tears. "N-no. I can't have that. God, my life is ruined!"

"Your life is complicated," corrected Levi, "and the more you cooperate with us, the less complicated it has to be. Giving over those codes would be a good start. In addition to that, you can give us names of anyone else your organization manipulated with this mind control shit. If you know of any more sleeper agents out there, you'd best come out with it. Every piece of info you give us that helps us clean up this mess is also going to help you, Kim. I can call you that, right? Or do you go by Kimberly? Or do you want to go by that name at all right now?"

She wiped at her eyes, and she flinched when Levi slid the tissue box on the table across to her. She hesitantly took one out to dab her tears away. "Susan, for now. If I'm going to do time for my involvement with those people, I'd rather do it under that name than my real one."

"Probably a smart choice."

Levi hid his own disappointment, and he felt suddenly tired. He'd known it was a long shot that this woman would have all the answers he was still looking for, but he'd gotten his hopes up anyway. It troubled him to think of how sluggishly his body had started responding during that fight when he'd engaged Zeke. True the man was dead now, but what other compulsions might still be lingering that the agency hadn't yet discovered how to remove?

 _~I could be this way for the rest of my life,~_ Levi realized. _~Never knowing when my subconscious might fuck me up and hinder my ability to act.~_

The one comfort to him was that Levi had no trouble with anyone besides Zeke, once he'd recovered from his ordeal. If he was lucky, it was an isolated incident that wouldn't apply under any other circumstances. If not...

_~If not, my career in the agency is eventually going to end because my performance is gonna suffer. Worse than that, I could compromise the safety of the agents under my command. If I can't trust myself completely anymore and I can't be sure my choices are still my own, how the hell can I keep doing this for a living?~_

* * *

Levi didn't speak of his fears to anyone. He finished his visit with the prisoner, had her escorted back to her cell and filled out some paperwork before leaving headquarters again. He ran some errands around town, taking a little longer in doing it than was necessary because this was the first time since this mess started that he'd had complete freedom and autonomy to do as he pleased. He stopped at a pub for lunch, worked out for a bit at the local gym and picked up groceries afterwards. Eren was at the studio practicing with his band until six, so Levi had no reason to hurry home.

He immediately busied himself with prepping dinner once he made it back to the house. It helped to keep his mind occupied, to keep the dark thoughts at bay and stop thinking of how screwed he could be. He finished chopping up all the veggies for the prep work, put them aside in separate bowls in the fridge and let the dogs out back.

Levi sat at the poolside watching the animals as they romped and did their business. He rubbed a sore spot on his shoulder, grimacing slightly. He'd overdone it a little with his workout routine. Perhaps a soak in the hot tub would be a good idea. The weather was getting chilly though, and evening was approaching. Maybe a soak in the bath was a better idea, instead of exposing himself to the cool air and risking a cold.

Levi checked his watch and determined that he had enough time to indulge before Eren got home and he'd need to start cooking the meal. He whistled to the dogs and patted his thigh as he got out of the lounger and opened the sliding glass door to go back inside. They followed him obediently, and Levi prepared their dinner before going to the bathroom connecting to his and Eren's bedroom to draw a hot bath.

He sprinkled some bath salts into it for muscle aches, undressed and sank gingerly into the water. For a few moments, he just sat there staring blankly at the fizz rising up from the salts. Then his body began to relax, and he reclined in the tub and closed his eyes. He tried to think of the vacation they would be taking into the mountains. It might be snowing there when they arrived. Maybe they could do some skiing. Then again, maybe they'd spend their whole holiday there screwing each other's brains out.

Levi smirked at that thought, closing his eyes. Well, Eren wanted a second honeymoon, and he was going to get it.

* * *

"Levi, I'm home!"

Eren didn't get a response from his husband, but the dogs were quick to greet him at the door. For once, the front security gate to his property wasn't plagued by Paparazzi trying to get photos of him. Eren attributed that to another popular rock band that was in town on tour. It took some of the media attention away from his band and afforded them a little peace and quiet.

"Hey guys. Where's your other daddy?" Eren asked the dogs. He gave them both a pat and checked the kitchen first, guessing Levi might be busy in there and hadn't heard him come in. Finding the stove set up with saucepans and baking dishes for the dinner Levi planned to cook for tonight, he had his confirmation that his spouse was home and not riding around with someone. Eren shrugged, and he checked out back. No Levi by the pool or hot tub, either. Next he checked the home office, and when he didn't find his partner working in there, Eren tried the bathrooms.

Bingo. He found the agent dozing in the master bedroom's bathroom, relaxing in the tub with the jets turned on low. Eren closed the door behind him so that the dogs wouldn't follow him in and disturb his husband, and he squatted by the edge of the tub. He just looked at Levi for a few seconds, admiring his face in slumber and his nudity. Eren reached out to trace the agent's ear and jaw, and Levi's eyes fluttered open.

"Hey there," greeted Eren softly. "Did you get a little too relaxed?"

"Hey." Levi scooted up and rubbed his eyes, frowning. "Shit, what time is it?"

"Just a little after six. We've got an hour before Mom and Erwin get here, so don't worry. Just be careful about dozing off in the tub like that, okay? I don't want to come home one day and find you drowned."

"I don't usually pass out like that," muttered Levi. He examined his hands for pruning. "Tch. I'd better get out and get dressed."

Eren stood up, and he offered a hand to the smaller man. Levi took it and allowed him to help him up. Eren fetched the bath towel for him, and he sat down on the closed lid of the toilet as he watched Levi dry off. "Are you feeling okay?"

Levi glanced at him, then resumed drying off his legs and feet. "Fine. Why?"

"Because like you said: it's not like you to pass out in the tub like that. Usually if you doze off it's in your office chair or on the couch after a couple of drinks." Eren reached out to take one of Levi's hands after the agent draped the towel around his waist. "If there's anything on your mind, I hope you'll tell me. I know things didn't go as you hoped with the raid."

Levi stared at him, and there was a hint of uncertainty in his hooded gray eyes. It made Eren ache to see it. They both knew that something had gone wrong in that fight with Zeke, and it had to do with the mental conditioning Levi had been subjected to. The captain hadn't spoken of it though, except to compliment how Eren handled himself in the end. How could Eren reassure him and make him feel safe without insulting his pride, though?

Levi seemed to pick up on Eren's mood. "We'll talk in the bedroom after I've finished dressing, okay?"

Eren nodded, relieved. More and more these days, Levi was trying to open up to him. He knew what a monumental display of trust that was for the captain. "Okay, babe."

* * *

Levi drew a deep breath as he sat down on the bed next to his spouse. He'd promised to talk to Eren, so there was no going back now.

"When I faced Zeke," he began softly, staring straight ahead at the wall, "My limbs started to feel like lead. I wanted to cut him down, but my body wouldn't obey my mind."

He looked into his husband's concerned, expressive green eyes. He drew strength from them, finding only love and support in their depths...no judgment. "I know that part of the directive he put in my head was that I never raise a hand against him. I thought we tackled that, but apparently some of his conditioning was still there. Makes me feel like a failure. I was trying to protect you, and I couldn't."

Eren took Levi's hands in his, and he squeezed them supportively. "But you _did_ protect me, Captain. You always have."

Levi shook his head, frowning unhappily. "If that was true, my blades would have ended him straight away. There would have been no hesitation."

Eren sighed, and he bit his lower lip in thought. "Okay, look at it this way, then. Even though he had some kind of hold on you still, you fought it. You still attacked him. Maybe you had trouble doing it and you couldn't finish it the way you wanted, but you _still did it_. I saw it, gorgeous. I saw you defying his conditioning, and I saw how hard that was for you. You didn't fail, okay?"

Levi wasn't convinced. He should have been able to take Zeke out. He'd never failed to protect Eren; not in this life or the last one. "I should have been able to do more."

Eren let go of his hands, and he cupped Levi's face. "You did enough. He's gone, and we're safe now. You beat the odds, Levi. You're the only person I know that would be stubborn enough to attack someone you were mentally conditioned not to harm! Can't you see how awesome that is?"

Levi swallowed. Damn, Eren looked so sincere. The brat was way too pretty for his own good, and he saw nothing but sincerity and admiration shining in those bright eyes.

"I'd kill a nation for you, brat."

Levi flushed as soon as the words left his mouth. He wasn't given to spontaneous moments of passionate declarations, but Eren somehow brought out the worst in him.

"I know you would, Captain." Eren smiled, and he leaned in for a tender kiss. "I know you would, and that nation would be totally screwed."

"Heh." Levi kissed him back, embarrassed but comforted by the other man's reassurance. His little smile faded soon, though. "It just makes me wonder what else might be left over. Makes me question my own sanity."

Eren sobered as well, and there was a spark of anger in his gaze. "Now I wish that bastard hadn't died so quick, because I want to kill him myself for what he did to you. When you have your next counseling appointment, you should bring it up. Talk to them about it. I think maybe we should check into some hypnotherapy or something. I don't like seeing you have so much self-doubt, but there's one thing I know for sure."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Eren held the agent's gaze. "You're Levi. I'm Eren. That's enough for me, and nobody can take that from us."

God, he loved this loudmouth kid. Levi couldn't bring himself to declare it right now, but Eren's support meant more to him than mere words could ever say. Levi drew him close for an embrace, and he murmured into the singer's ear.

"Thanks, shitty brat. I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Erwin watched Levi closely as he set the baked chicken on the table for everyone. Having kept the habit of observing his former captain's moods, he could tell that the man was troubled. He could easily guess why. He wished he could do something for him, but too much personal involvement on his part might give people the wrong idea. Levi had a devoted spouse in Eren, and Erwin had decided to make it a point to let the two of them deal with their problems instead of running interference himself.

"Good cabbage," complimented the blond after trying a bite of the buttered, seasoned greens.

"Believe it or not, Eren cooked it." Levi smirked at his spouse, but there was subtle pride in his gaze. "And our kitchen is still standing."

Eren chuckled, and he put a chicken thigh on his plate. "I'm getting better at not catching things on fire, thanks to Levi's guidance. I still try to keep my food prep to cold meals, though. I can make a slamming PBJ sandwich."

"Yeah, you've got your sandwiches down pact," agreed Levi.

"This boy practically lived on peanut butter and jelly when he first moved out of the house," teased Madeline. "I used to bring him meals because I was so afraid he wasn't getting enough nutrition!"

"I didn't just eat PBJ," Eren defended. "I used to buy cold cuts too."

"Yes, but sandwiches can only go so far to meet your dietary needs," insisted Madeline. "And the same goes for fast food, pizza and frozen dinners. If you weren't so active you probably would have put on too much weight."

Eren shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "I did start to put on a little pudge for a while before my music career started taking off. After that I could afford to order takeout from some good restaurants."

"The dining choices of a tried and true bachelor," commented Erwin with amusement. "I was much the same through most of my twenties. I imagine Levi even went through a non-cooking phase."

"Like hell I did," scoffed the agent. "I was cooking my own meals by the time I was ten years old."

"That young?" Madeline blinked. "Didn't your mother ever cook for you?"

"When she was well enough to," he answered softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. I wasn't thinking."

Levi brushed it off, forgiving her for the lapse. They all knew by now that Levi had to start fending for himself rather early in life, due to losing his parents so soon.

"It's okay, Mads. It's not like the subject comes up very often."

Erwin frowned a little in thought. It seemed very unfair that Levi had to practically raise himself in both lives. It made him wonder how much of the small man's OCD was inspired by unfavorable living circumstances and how much was just Levi's natural personality. He could imagine Levi as a child, getting by as best as he could while keeping a strong front. He didn't know the details behind his youth in this life, but he knew about Levi growing up in squalor in the previous one.

"Well, now that I've ruined dinner," sighed Madeline forlornly.

"You haven't ruined it," Levi insisted. "You just reacted the way most people would, and like I said; it's not a subject we talk about much. It's okay that you forgot."

"But it isn't," she insisted. "It shouldn't have even slipped my mind for a second. That was horribly thoughtless of me."

"Oi, you didn't do it to be a bitch." Levi smirked at her and shook his head. "It's really okay."

She breathed a little easier, and she reached across the table to give his hand a little squeeze. "Thank you, honey. Well, onto happier subjects. Are you boys looking forward to your vacation?"

"You bet," enthused Eren. "It's going to be our second honeymoon, sort of. It doesn't fall on our anniversary, but I've been wanting to do something special this year, so we can just celebrate early while we're in the mountains."

"It sounds lovely. Take plenty of photos while you're there and tell me how your stay goes. It could end up being where Erwin and I take our honeymoon, if it's nice enough."

"There isn't going to be much to do," warned Levi. "Unless you want to try your hand at skiing. I guess you two aren't going to be worrying much about sight-seeing, though."

Madeline blushed charmingly, looking sidelong at her betrothed. "No, I don't imagine we will be."

Erwin carefully concentrated on buttering his roll as Levi gave him a knowing look. Truthfully, the man might be shocked to know that he and Madeline hadn't gone all the way yet. Erwin had meant it when he said he was avoiding past mistakes and trying to be the sort of man he thought Madeline deserved. Gone was the playboy. Erwin hadn't found appeal in that lifestyle for some time now, and while he couldn't guarantee that he could last all the way to their wedding night before his urges got the better of him, Erwin had been striving to be a gentleman.

Dinner went on with pleasant conversation, followed by a fruit salad for dessert. Afterwards, Madeline helped Eren clean up the dishes, and Levi stepped outside with Erwin when the blond excused himself to have a cigar. That was when the truth came out by accident—or perhaps it was Erwin's subconscious taking over because he wanted his companion to know he was doing right by his mother-in-law.

"Madeline and I haven't slept together yet."

Levi's brows went up. "Huh?"

Erwin looked at him, had another puff of his cigar and repeated himself. "We haven't gone that far."

Levi bore the expression of one who suspected he was being made the butt of some joke. "Very funny, Smith."

"I'm serious. We stay the night together sometimes, we go out on dates, we do certain other things, but we haven't had intercourse."

Levi blinked. "And you're telling me this why?"

Erwin sighed. "I don't know."

Levi went silent and thoughtful for a couple of moments. "Then how do you know she's really the one? If you two haven't banged yet, you can't be sure there's real fire between you."

"Oh, there's fire," assured Erwin with a dry smirk. "I've taken enough cold showers to be assured of that."

"Tch, and here you were telling me it's none of my business what you and Mads do together. Now you're telling me the Trost Love Machine's suddenly decided to go celibate with the person he's planning to fucking marry? I don't get it."

Erwin snorted. "The 'Trost Love Machine', is it? I don't think I've been as promiscuous in this lifetime as I was in my last. Perhaps in my college days, but you might be surprised to know I don't own a little black book."

Levi tilted his head. "Given some of the changes I've seen you go through myself, I can buy that. You're not the same Erwin Smith I used to serve under. Well, you are, but without all that bad luggage. That still begs the question of why you're telling me this. Having trouble with some blue balls and looking for some advice? If that's the case, it's creepy. I don't think I can give you pointers on how to get my mother-in-law into bed."

Erwin chuckled, but it was a bit strained. "No, that isn't why I brought it up. I think I just wanted you to know, because I understand my relationship with Madeline hasn't been easy for you to accept. It's important to me that you know I respect her."

"I could already see that," reassured Levi. "You open doors for her, you don't paw at her and you pay her compliments all the time. She's obviously crazy about you too, so you don't have anything to prove to me."

That brought Erwin some comfort. "I didn't even intend to say anything. It just came out. I felt like it needed to be said."

"Well, just don't take it _too_ far, big guy," advised the smaller man. "Much as I don't like to picture it, Madeline's a grown woman and she's still young. Try too hard to be a gentleman and she could start feeling neglected."

"It's a tough balance," sighed the blond. "I'm going to leave it up to her to decide if we sleep together before the wedding. That seems to be the safest bet."

"Or she could get frustrated waiting on you to make that final mood and think you aren't into her," warned Levi. "Why don't you just do what you'd normally do and back off if she says no?"

Erwin looked him dead in the eye. "Because what I would normally do isn't the sort of behavior I want to expose Madeline to. You remember how I used to initiate things, don't you?"

Levi grimaced. "Okay, so don't do what you'd normally do, then. Maybe try to find a comfortable middle. You don't have to be a demanding prick to get lucky, you know. Use that charm of yours and see where it takes you from there."

Erwin nodded. "I can try. My concern is that I may fall back into old habits and seduce her. I want to take a more honest approach and put her needs before mine."

"And that's not the way you ever did things before," sighed Levi. "Well, good luck. You've managed to get this far. Maybe you just need to have more faith in yourself."

Erwin took another puff of his cigar, and he took a seat in one of the poolside loungers. "What about you, Levi? How are you holding up?"

Levi also had a seat, choosing the cushioned chair with the ottoman. "Can't really complain. At least they're letting me have the time off to get away for a while. No more shrinks 'till I come back, so that's a plus."

Erwin regarded him quietly.

"What?" sighed Levi when the blond kept staring at him. "Don't make me play a guessing game with you. If there's something you want to say, just say it."

"I'm just wondering if you're feeling as blasé about it as you sound."

"All right, the guy fucked with my head and made me do things against my will." Levi shrugged, frowning down at his lap. "I almost killed you. I attacked Eren, too. It's going to take me a while to get over that. Is that what you need to hear?"

"So long as you're being honest with yourself," soothed Erwin. "I can only imagine how traumatizing your ordeals have been for you. I just hope you aren't hesitating to open up to someone when you need to, that's all."

"Well, Eren's got me pretty trained on that front. I'm never going to be an open book anymore than you are, but I'm learning to talk about it to him, at least. I try to be straight with the councilors too because I'm required to. I don't whine and cry to them about it, though."

"I didn't imagine you would." Erwin smiled at him. "It also comes as no surprise to me that Eren is being so supportive of you. He always has been, and you deserve that."

Levi didn't say more on the subject, evidently deciding it didn't need further discussion. Erwin let it go as well, satisfied that even if Levi suffered moments of doubt, he was going to be okay.

* * *

The next day they took their flight, rented a jeep when they touched down and drove up into the mountains to the cabin they'd booked. It was a slow drive due to recent snowfall, and Levi took over when Eren started getting nervous behind the wheel.

"Just play a game on your phone or something," advised the agent when Eren looked out the window and gasped. They were heading around a bend in the road, and beyond the guard rails was a steep drop.

"Man, drive slow okay?" worried Eren. "One slip-up and we could go over."

"If I drive any slower, we'll never get there." Levi bumped up the heater a little, flexing his fingers to ward off the chill in them. The road turned sharply again, and he hugged the side of the mountain. Up ahead was a semi truck heading down the opposite lane, and Levi's jaw clenched in spite of his confident demeanor. He tightened his hands on the steering wheel as they passed by the bigger vehicle, and the wind buffeted the little jeep he and Eren were in.

"Shit!"

"Eren, just calm down," advised Levi sternly, not taking his eyes off the road. "We're fine. The GPS says we'll get there in ten minutes, so just close your eyes and put on some music or something. Don't watch the road, okay?"

Eren gulped, and he started digging for his phone to take the smaller man's advice.

"We should have just taken a helicopter ride up to the lodge like they offered."

"If we'd have done that, we wouldn't have a vehicle to go shopping at the local store," reminded Levi. "We're going to need some basic groceries during our stay, right?"

"Yeah, but we could have probably just had some delivered," Eren pointed out.

"And had to pay a fee for the services," argued Levi. "I don't like wasting money when I don't have to."

"Yeah, but...aaahhh!"

Just as Eren was about to present another rebuttal, the branch of an iced-over tree leaning over the road broke off and landed in front of them. Levi braked impulsively, and they started to fishtail. Eren was screaming his head off, and Levi's mouth was compressed in a grim line as he fought to regain control of the car. They bumped into one of the guard rails on the right side of the road and came to a stop.

Both men were a bit shaken up, and Levi's first impulse was to check on his spouse. Eren's usually tanned complexion was now as pale as Levi's, and he had a death grip on either side of his seat. His eyes were huge like saucers in his face, and Levi gently slapped him on the left cheek to snap him out of it.

"Oi, you okay?"

Eren gulped again, and he licked dry lips. His gaze flicked to Levi, his pupils blown wide with panic. "Y-yeah, I think so. You?"

"I'm fine." Levi took a deep breath himself, more rattled than he cared to admit. After everything they'd lived through, it would be tragically ironic for them to both die in a car crash on their way to their second honeymoon. "Just take a few deep breaths and wait in the car while I get out and check for damages, okay?"

"M-might want to pull off to the shoulder first," suggested Eren. "Get out of the way of traffic."

"Yeah."

Levi put the jeep back into gear, and he carefully drove around the bend so that they wouldn't be in a blind spot to other traffic. He pulled onto the shoulder, put on the emergency brake and checked for traffic before getting out. He walked around to the passenger side of the car and hunched over to look. He'd heard the branch hit somewhere when it fell, and he could see now that the front right tire was rapidly deflating. It must have been punctured.

"Shit," muttered Levi. There was no help for it, though. He walked around to the back of the vehicle, and he opened up the spare tire compartment on the back of it.

" _Shit_ ," he said again, this time with more feeling.

Eren rolled down the window and peeked out. "What's wrong?"

"There's no fucking spare." Levi closed the compartment again, and he opened up the hatch to check and see if there might be one in the floor storage department in the back of the jeep. No such luck. There was a tool box, a tire iron and a jack, but no tire. Levi put his arm on the side of the hatch and rested his forehead against it. Just their luck.

"Did you find one?" Eren had gotten out of the passenger side, and he came around to join him.

"Nope. Guess the last person that rented this thing must have used it and they never replaced it. We'll have to call to have it towed. Better do that now, because it's getting dark already and I don't want to be stuck out here all night."

Eren groaned. "I don't believe this. It could only happen to us!"

"We haven't had the best run of luck this year, that's for damned sure." Levi got his phone out, and he verbally instructed the search function to find the nearest road service available. "Hi, I'm in a jeep with my partner and we got a flat on Sawyer Road. We're about seven miles from the ski lodge up here, and we just found out we don't have a spare. Yeah, no kidding...should have checked that before we got on the road. The name's Levi Ackerman-Jaeger. No, we're off the road on the shoulder, and I made sure to park on a straight stretch so other traffic can see us."

Levi listened to what the service person on the other line said, and he frowned. "That long? You can't get anyone here sooner?" He sighed, and he looked at Eren. "They don't have a truck available right now. I guess this is a busy time of year for them."

"Damn." Eren bit his lip. "Could we call a taxi then? We could get our stuff and just leave the jeep here...have them bring it to the lodge when they tow it."

Levi relayed the suggestion to the person on the phone, and he shook his head when they responded. "There aren't any nearby taxi services. The tow truck would probably get here before a car could come pick us up."

Eren didn't look thrilled, and he tightened his winter coat around himself. "Well, we have some snacks and a couple of blankets. I guess we can just stay in the car and wait."

"We're gonna have to." Levi spoke to the person on the phone again. "All right, we'll just wait here for you. It's a black jeep with local plates and silver trimming. Yeah, I'll do that. Here's my credit card information."

* * *

While Levi finished taking care of making the towing arrangements, Eren climbed into the back of the jeep to look through their things. He found one of the fluffy, thick blankets he'd packed for cuddle time on the cabin deck, and he turned down the back seat to make a more comfortable spot for him and Levi to lay down if they wanted to. He was already shivering by the time he finished and closed the back of the jeep.

Levi climbed into the driver's side while Eren finished arranging the back. They'd also both brought their own pillows as an additional creature comfort, so Eren laid those out too. Levi would have tried to find a different towing company, but apparently the next nearest one was one county over. They were just going to have to wait for a couple of hours before help arrived.

"I'll bet we could just hike our way to the cabin and make it there before they truck comes," Eren remarked. He dug through the grocery bag on the floor to see what they had in the way of snacks. There wasn't much; they'd just stopped off at a convenience store on the way from the airport to have something to munch on the road.

"Maybe we could, but we'd be frozen by the time we got there. I don't want either of us to spend this vacation sick from exposure. So what do we have back there, brat?"

"An apple, a bag of spicy corn chips, a couple of meat sticks and some soda."

Levi sighed. "I knew I should have grabbed another couple of bottles of tea while we were there. All right, I'm gonna crank up the engine and put the heat on for a while. They'll call me when they're on the way, and then I'll put on the headlights so they can find us more easily."

Eren nodded, trusting Levi's judgment. The engine started up, and Levi crawled into the back with Eren to get more comfortable. The singer pulled his spouse into an embrace, sitting cross-legged beside him as he opened up the bag of chips. The apple he gave to Levi, guessing the man would go for that before any of the junk food.

"Some start to our honeymoon," Eren remarked with a sidelong grin at his companion, "but at least we're together, right?"

"Yeah." Levi started on his apple, while Eren began to snack on the chips. After snacking a bit, they turned on the radio to search for music. Eren climbed back from the front again after locating a rock music station. It was a bit crackly due to poor mountain reception, but it was better than nothing.

"Hey, we should take a picture while we've still got some light," said Eren after a moment's thought. "Day 1: Broken down. Hey, now I've got a title for the next song I'm going to write."

"You want to go out there to snap a picture now?" Levi cast a frowning look out the window. "It's started snowing."

"It'll only take a few seconds." Eren smiled at him. "Besides, I'm going to have to pee."

"Shouldn't have gulped down that soda so fast," grumbled Levi. "All right, though. Make sure you grab the wet wipes before you go watering a bush."

They climbed out of the jeep together, and Eren put an arm around Levi before aiming his cell phone for a couple's selfie. He kissed Levi on the cheek as he took it, and a snowflake landed on his eyelashes.

"Here, I see a path you can take off the road," Levi observed after having a look around. "Just be careful not to slip and bust your ass. It's slippery over here."

"Yeah, I'll be careful," promised Eren. He pocketed the wet wipes, and he started off where his husband had indicated.

"Take your hands out of your damned pockets," ordered Levi. "You might need to grab onto something for balance."

"Ah, right." Eren did as advised, and he picked his way through the frozen vegetation to find a suitably hidden spot to relieve his bladder. Levi was still standing outside when he finished and came back, and Eren had to admire his resistance to the cold. He himself was shivering visibly, and his toes were going numb in his sneakers. He should have worn those winter boots Mikasa gifted to him for the trip, but he hadn't expected them to end up stranded on the way.

"Get inside and get warmed back up," Levi demanded. "Your nose is red."

Eren self-consciously touched the tip of his nose, feeling how cold it was. He got back in through the back of the vehicle, and Levi joined him. To his delight, the agent immediately bundled up in the blanket with him to share body warmth. Eren kissed Levi on the temple, and he snuggled up to him gladly. Levi turned his head to press his lips against Eren's throat. They were cool and dry against his skin, and he hoped Levi wasn't starting to get chapped lips.

Eren started to hum along with one of the songs that started playing, and Levi's hand rubbed his thigh beneath the blanket. The hand began to creep up further, and Eren turned his head to look at his companion with curious, interested green eyes. He didn't say anything, because if Levi was interested in fooling around a little, he was all for it. Plus, he might scare him off if he asked what he was doing.

"I can think of one sure way to warm you up," murmured Levi.

Eren's fly got tugged down, and his suspicions were confirmed. He cupped the back of Levi's head to draw his mouth to his, and he kissed him deeply. Their tongues danced together, and Eren lifted his hips a little to help the other man free him from his pants. Within moments, Levi was stroking Eren under the blanket, his hand working skillfully over the singer's stiffening flesh. Eren's breath quickened, and he urged Levi to lie down beside him. Rolling onto his side and hovering over the smaller man, Eren made out with him while Levi stroked him off.

He somehow managed to get Levi's coat open and pull his shirt up to expose his stomach and chest. Eren began to worship that toned flesh with his lips and tongue, lingering on the nipples the most. Levi started gasping and panting as well, grinding his bulge against Eren's thigh. His pants were a little tight, but Eren worked them open with determination so that Levi wouldn't make a mess in his pants.

They were both definitely getting warmed up, now.

* * *

Levi heard the horn of the tow truck, followed by the beeping sound. He was still catching his breath after reaching completion with his spouse, and he made sure his clothes were straight before he opened up the back of the jeep to climb out. Eren was still wiping off and tucking himself in. At least they'd finished before the truck arrived and didn't get caught in an awkward moment.

"That was faster than I expected," Levi remarked to the tow driver as they met up between the vehicles. He shook the man's hand, and he glanced back at the jeep. "Is there an auto shop you could take us to so we can get this fixed, or does your company do that sort of thing?"

"We can fix it up for you at the station," answered the driver. "We get a lot of distress calls when ski season comes around."

Eren got out of the jeep, and he joined his husband's side. "Need some help getting it set up, sir?"

"It's better for you boys to wait inside the truck while I do it," he answered. "For liability purposes. Hope you weren't waiting here too long."

The couple exchanged a glance. "We kept ourselves busy," answered Levi.

* * *

It was close to ten at night, by the time they made it to their cabin and checked in at the front desk. Levi didn't want to try to drive at night to do any shopping after their ordeal, and they were both tired. They ordered room service delivery and ate by the fireplace. Levi arranged their luggage while Eren drew a bath, and they enjoyed a long, warm soak together before changing for bed.

"Do you want to do some skiing tomorrow after we pick some things up?" Eren asked, stepping into his green pajama bottoms.

"Let's play it by ear." Levi wasn't wearing as much as Eren for bed; just a pair of high-cut black briefs that looked very sexy on him.

"Why do I have to be so tired?" Eren sighed, letting his gaze roam appreciatively over Levi's physique. "Are you dressing so skimpy for bed on purpose to tease me? I figured you'd wear pajamas like me."

"It's not cold enough in here for pajamas tonight." Levi climbed onto the bed, fluffed his pillow and lay back with a sigh. "I'm not trying to tease you. We got off together in the jeep, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but..." Eren glanced down, and he chuckled. "...I guess some parts of me didn't get the memo. You know how I can be."

Levi's hooded gaze lingered on the bulge in Eren's pajama pants. "Yeah, I know how you can be. Come here." He patted the other side of the bed.

Eren didn't need to be asked twice. He joined Levi in bed, covered up and dimmed the lamps. With a sigh, he pulled the smaller man close and he rubbed his back. "Well, we made it. Even if we take it easy tomorrow, we've still got the whole week left to enjoy. We can..." he yawned before going on, "...work out the details later. I already texted Mom and Armin to let them know we made it safely."

"Did you mention us breaking down?" Levi nuzzled Eren's throat.

"No, I'll tell them about that when we go home. I don't want them worrying." Eren rolled Levi over onto his back, and he started kissing him attentively.

"Thought you said you were tired," reminded Levi softly between kisses.

"Some parts are less tired than others." Eren nibbled the agent's earlobe, letting his hand glide over his body. "It's our first night on our second honeymoon. We shouldn't waste it."

Levi's back arched as the singer's fingertips skimmed over a nipple. "I was planning on going right to sleep, you brat."

Eren grinned sleepily, and he sucked on the smaller man's throat. "We can sleep in as long as we want tomorrow. I want you."

Levi closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, rapidly getting in the mood thanks to his companion's attentions. As dead-tired as he was, he couldn't deny himself the treat of Eren Jaeger. The singer's moist lips kept pressing kisses on his skin, his touch igniting little fires throughout Levi's body as he fondled him. As Eren's hand dropped further down, his kisses slowed and his open mouth pressed against Levi's shoulder. His weight grew heavier on top of the agent, and it wasn't until Levi heard him snore that he realized what had happened.

"Oi, are you asleep?" Levi opened his eyes and shot an annoyed look down at the shaggy brown head resting against his shoulder. "Eren?"

"Mmmrrble," came the incoherent, sleepy response.

Levi sighed. "Great. Get me worked up and then pass out on me, you shit."

It was hard to be angry with him, though. Eren smacked his lips in his sleep and sighed with contentment, and Levi refrained from smacking him on the ass to wake him up. He stroked Eren's hair and he closed his eyes, cutting his losses. He knew that his husband would more than make up for it later, once they both got rested. Even in his sleep, Eren was still hard against Levi's leg.

"Sweet dreams, Eren."

* * *

-To be continued


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, long chapter! Beware, there's an implied het scene in this one.

Eren knew he'd messed up. He woke up to the smell of eggs and toast, and when he joined Levi in the kitchen of their lodge, the agent cast a brief glance at him and resumed his cooking. Eren didn't even remember going to sleep. One minute he was making out with his husband in the bed, and the next he was waking up to the aroma of breakfast.

"Morning," Eren said, approaching his spouse. Levi was in a thick white bathrobe, and his hair was scented with shampoo and conditioner.

Eren came up behind him to embrace him, speaking softly into his ear. "I'm sorry I crashed on you last night. Are you mad at me?"

Levi shook his head. "A little resentful that you messed around until you got me excited before you ran out of steam, but not pissed." The smaller man turned his head to look up at Eren. "For the record, though, I fully expect you to make it up to me later."

"It's a promise," agreed Eren. He gave Levi a squeeze, and then he went rummaging through the cabinets to get out some plates. "Can I help with any of that?"

"Nah, it's nearly done. Just set the table and pour us some juice."

Eren went to the fridge to check. "There's juice? Oh hey, look at that! I thought this place would be bare."

Levi shrugged. "Turns out they stocked it with the basics. We'll still need to get some groceries. I thought after breakfast we could go down to the market. It's not very far down the mountain, and the snow's let up a little."

Eren winced at the thought of driving back down the mountain after the experience from last night. "Uh, are you sure we can't just have groceries delivered?"

"Don't be a wimp," chided Levi. "The tire's been replaced and the guy double-checked the chains on them before he left. It's only a short way, and we don't have enough groceries to last for the whole vacation."

Levi scooped up equal portions of the scrambled eggs when Eren set the plates on the counter for him, and he set a piece of toast on each plate. "Besides, as much as I love the idea of spending most of our time here screwing like beasts, I want to get some skiing in at some point."

"Right." Eren resisted a sigh. Of course Levi would want to hit the slopes. What was the point of renting a ski cabin otherwise? "I just hope this place has a first aid kit and there's a hospital nearby."

"If you can fly around on ODM gear," Levi stated, "then you can ski. I'll help you. We'll hit the kiddy slope first, and if you feel more confident after that, you can try your hand at something bigger."

Eren of course didn't want to disappoint his partner. He didn't really share Levi's belief that he could try skiing without some catastrophe befalling him, but perhaps with the captain there coaching him he wouldn't do so bad. He collected the plates, got a couple of forks and knives and put the food on the table. He then poured a glass of orange juice each, and he joined Levi for their meal.

"I was thinking we could go up on the roof deck tonight," suggested Eren. "The catalog says this is a good time of year to see the northern lights. We could light the fire pit up there and sit out under the stars for a while."

"Sounds good." Levi checked the weather on his phone. "It's supposed to be clear until Wednesday, so we should have a decent view."

Eren swallowed a bite of toast, and he smiled at Levi. "And then maybe after some stargazing, I could give you an examination."

"I forgot all about that," revealed Levi with a look of intrigue at him. "Did you pack your scrubs and instruments?"

"Like I'd forget to," admonished Eren with a grin. "I've been wanting to play nurse with you again too much to neglect that. You said you were going to make lamb chops for dinner, too."

"I did," agreed the smaller man. "All right. We'll get some shopping done, maybe pick up some souvenirs to bring back, have dinner, do the stargazing thing and then play doctor."

Eren started to laugh at his partner's enthusiasm.

"What?" demanded Levi.

The singer shook his head. "You. It's so cute when you perk up like this."

"Who says I'm 'perky'?" Levi's face gained a hint of pink. "Just planning out the night, brat."

"Yeah, but you're doing it with so much gusto." Eren winked at him. "You were pretty casual about the game plan until I mentioned roleplay."

Levi shrugged, taking a sip of his juice. "All right, you little shit. 'Nurse Eren' happens to be a fucking weakness of mine."

"Don't be embarrassed," soothed Eren. "I like knowing I can get you that excited. I promise I'll take good care of you tonight."

"Or _I'll_ take good care of _you_ ," muttered Levi before scooping up a bite of eggs.

* * *

This time the car ride wasn't nearly as frightening as it had been the day before. The roads had been salted to make travel easier, and Levi again drove for the sake of sparing his husband the stress of it. They made it into the market square, and they rented ski supplies for their stay. One of the salesgirls in the ski supply store recognized Eren, and she threw an excited fit that had Levi rolling his eyes. It didn't seem to matter that the whole world knew Eren Jaeger was gay and married to another man. Girls still went crazy over him.

Eren gave the salesgirl his autograph and let her take a picture with him, and then they moved on to the souvenir shop. From there they went grocery shopping, and the jeep was loaded up by the time they finished and headed back up the mountain to their lodge. After a few trips back and forth from the vehicle, they got everything inside and Eren lit the fireplace while Levi started putting stuff away.

"Do they have to squeal like that?" complained Levi, glancing over his shoulder at his spouse when Eren joined him in the kitchen.

"Who?" Eren cocked his head inquisitively, pausing in the act of unloading one of the grocery bags.

"Your fangirls," clarified the agent. "Police sirens aren't even that loud. I thought she was gonna bust my eardrum."

"Oh." Eren shrugged. "I guess I don't notice it much anymore."

Levi approached him, and he tugged at the rocker's left earlobe. "Then maybe you should get your ears checked and make sure you aren't going deaf from all that loud music and screaming fans."

"You just get desensitized to it after a while," explained Eren. He began to put away the perishables in the fridge. "I mean, I'm aware they're doing it, but it's kind of like white noise to me now."

"I'd lose my shit," decided Levi.

"I don't think you would." Eren opened up a box of caramel coated popcorn and started munching on it. "You've always had your own fanbase, remember. People see you in action and...well..." Eren grinned. "You've got at least one screaming fanboy, anyhow."

Levi stared at the singer's boyish, comely smile, and he got his meaning. "Heh. I've got the loudest fan of all, when you put it that way. I didn't think of that."

"I'll bet when people see you out there skiing on the slopes this week, you'll gain a few more. It's probably not as cool to watch as you flying around on ODM gear, but I'll probably still end up with a nosebleed."

Levi started lining up the ingredients for dinner so that he could do his prep work. He watched Eren from the corner of his eye as he got everything ready. Flannel wasn't usually Levi's cup of tea, but Eren wore the green and red checkered pattern nicely. The top two buttons were open to reveal the Wings of Freedom pendant Levi had given Eren the year before. The singer wore a pair of gray jeans with the shirt, and his feet were covered with thick brown winter moccasin boots.

It was a rugged sort of mountain man look, but with his long hair brushed, his clean-shaven features and gorgeous eyes, Eren made it look sexy.

"Ah, fuck!"

Eren gave a start in reaction to Levi's sudden exclamation, blinking at the smaller man as Levi hopped on one foot and gritted his teeth. "What's wrong?"

"Stubbed my damned toe on the counter island," grunted Levi, still hopping. He set down the wrapped lamb chops on the counter, forgetting about them for the time being.

"How?" Eren circled around the island to put a supportive arm around him. Seeing Levi's sock-clad feet, he frowned. "What happened to your boots you were just wearing?"

"Took 'em off when we came in. Shit, that hurt."

"Here, come sit on the barstool," urged the singer. "I think some of my clumsy rubbed off on you, Captain."

Levi allowed the taller man to help him up onto the stool, and he averted his face to call less attention to his sudden blushing.

"No, some of your sexy rubbed off on me," he mumbled.

Eren looked up at him from his squatting position on the floor, his mouth falling open. "What was that, babe?"

"Nothing. It's the right pinky toe."

Eren propped the indicated foot on his thigh, and he carefully tugged Levi's sock off to look at it.

"I'm sure it's fine," Levi protested as Eren brushed his thumb over the toe and inspected it for bruising.

"Shh, let Nurse Eren take care of you," chided the singer with a brief grin up at him. He checked the nail bed, and then he stroked the little toe attentively. "It's a little red, but it doesn't look broken. Can you wiggle it?"

Levi tried, and he nodded. "Yeah. Hurts, but I can move it."

Eren got back up. "Okay, put your arms around my neck."

"Why? What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you into the living room so you can lay down on the couch," informed Eren, "and then we'll put some ice on it."

"You know you're not really a nurse," reminded Levi. Nonetheless, he put his arms around the taller man's neck, and he let Eren pick him up and carry him bridal style into the other room.

"Putting ice on a stubbed toe is just common sense," reasoned Eren. "Believe me, I've had plenty of experience with that."

He set Levi sidelong down on the couch, gave him a kiss. "I'll be right back."

Levi sighed and fluffed the throw pillows before reclining back against them. At least the couch was plush and comfortable. Eren returned from the kitchen a moment later, carrying with him a sandwich bag filled with some crushed ice. He wrapped it up in a dishrag, and he sat down at Levi's feet to apply it to his foot.

"Want me to put on the television?" offered the singer, glancing up questioningly from his task.

Levi stared into those brilliant green eyes. "Hmm?"

"The TV," repeated Eren. "Want me to see if there's anything on?"

Levi moved one of the throw pillows, covering his lap strategically. "Sure, but I've got to start prepping for dinner."

Eren shook his head, and he squeezed the agent's knee. "We can skip that tonight, Levi. You shouldn't be standing on your feet cooking with a hurt toe."

"So I'll cook sitting on a stool," suggested Levi.

"How about if I just order room service again for tonight?" Eren rubbed Levi's knee, and he propped the smaller man's legs over his lap. Leaning in, he favored Levi with a soft kiss on the lips. "We can do the lamb chops tomorrow when your foot feels better."

Levi pushed down on the pillow covering his lap as it started to elevate slightly. Due to his distraction, Levi conceded to Eren's logic. "All right. Go ahead and order something, then."

* * *

After a nice enough dinner of chili con carne, the couple went up on the rooftop deck to have a look at the night sky. Eren of course did his very best to make it a romantic moment that counted. While Levi got the firepit started, Eren spread out some thick blankets beneath the deck cover. The firepit was covered for safety as well, with a pipe leading up through a hole in the deck cover so that the smoke and sparks could escape. The sun was just going down, and the two of them sat down on the blankets together.

"How is your toe feeling?" asked Eren with a nod at the foot his husband had injured. Levi was again wearing his insulated black boots.

"It's better now." The firelight reflected in Levi's winter-gray eyes as he looked at Eren. "So, the northern lights, huh?"

"Yeah. Oh, I brought the camera up with us, just in case." Eren got it out of his pocket, showing the object to Levi. "Mom would be pissed if I missed snapping a picture of them on a clear night."

"What else did you bring up with you?" Levi scooted closer to the singer.

"Oh crap, I was going to warm us up some cider." Eren cast an apologetic look at the other man.

"That's all right. I'm not in a drinking mood." Levi pulled on one of the blankets, and he wrapped it around them both. "I was thinking of something else."

Seeing the come-hither look in his eyes, Eren got it. "Oh. Oh, that. Uh..."

He'd thought they were going to do that later. His plans were to unpack his nurse getup after they finished out here, but now that Eren thought of it, this setting was perfect for some loving. They had a fire, a nice view, blankets and pillows.

"It's all inside," explained Eren, wanting to kick himself. "Do you want me to go and get it now?"

Levi considered it. "Just the essentials. Just in case. Don't worry about changing. That can come later."

Figuring out that he meant lubricant by "essentials", Eren got up without question. He wrapped his husband up in the blanket they'd been sharing, inadvertently covering his head up in the process. He heard Levi sputter as he went for the stairs leading down off the roof.

"Don't fall and bust your ass on the way down," warned Levi.

Eren prudently slowed down and paid more attention to his steps. He went through the glass doors leading back into the lodge from the main back deck. He went inside and to the bedroom, and he dug through the bag where he'd stored his roleplaying stuff, and he found one of the several tubes of lubricant he'd packed for the trip.

"Honey," Eren decided after checking the flavors. "No, wait...the cherry. Levi likes cherry."

Eren snatched it, and he hurried back up to the roof with it in his hand. The first thing he saw was the soft aura of the northern lights shining in the sky. He stopped and stared, and he started to walk to the north side of the deck to have a better look. His foot nudged against something on the way, and he looked down to find his husband reclining on his back against the blankets and pillows, with his elbows propping him up.

Eren forgot all about the northern lights. Levi had his jacket open, his burgundy sweater partly tugged up to expose his six-pack, his right knee bent and a decidedly sultry expression on his face. His nipples were hard from the chill in the air, poking up under the top part of his sweater.

"So Eren," purred Levi, "this wasn't a bad idea. Are you going to come down here with me, or what?"

Eren dropped the lubricant to the deck, his hands going numb.

"Northern lights?" Levi pressed, nodding toward the display in the sky. "I thought you wanted to watch them."

"I...I...aye-aye," babbled Eren, swallowing. Northern lights? What were they?

"Heh. Okay, skipper. Get down here on the deck."

Eren sank to his knees, staring at the sensual picture Levi made. He regained some semblance of his wits, and he grabbed the lubricant he'd dropped. He crawled over to Levi, who watched him with heavy-lidded eyes.

"I wasn't expecting to come back and find you...like this," remarked the singer, his gaze raking over Levi's form. He reached out to stroke a palm over the smaller man's abs, admiring the feel of the tight muscles against his hand.

"I almost got like this earlier," informed Levi, "while you were feeling up my toe."

Eren's brow crinkled a bit. "I wasn't 'feeling it up', I was checking it out to make sure it wasn't hurt bad."

"Whatever." Levi shrugged, his stomach rippling beneath Eren's hand. "It got me hot."

"I thought you were in pain."

"I was, but then you started nursing me. My toe wasn't what swelled up, brat."

"Oh." Eren smiled. "So it's not just the scrubs and the roleplay you like. It's the pampering."

Levi sighed softly, and he rubbed a boot against Eren's leg. "I've been discovering all sorts of kinks I didn't know I had until you. Yeah, I like the pampering. I like the bondage too, and the toys and the spanking and the slow loving."

The agent sat up, reached for Eren's flannel shirt and started working the buttons open. "And for some goddamned reason, I like you in this getup."

Eren ignored the coolness that touched his skin as his shirt was pulled open. He forgot all about the sky and taking pictures of it for his mother. He leaned in, covered Levi's mouth with his own and kissed him. Levi's tongue pushed into his mouth aggressively, dominating his before withdrawing. When Eren tried to guide Levi onto his back, the smaller man shook his head.

"Not tonight, Eren. Not that way."

Levi clarified his meaning by pushing the singer down onto the blankets and stretching out on top of him. He pinched one of Eren's nipples as he tongued his earlobe, resting a hard thigh between Eren's legs. Eren ground himself against Levi's thigh, his pulse racing with excitement. He cupped Levi's ass, squeezing its tightness under his palms.

"Levi."

Eren slid his hands up underneath the agent's sweater, stroking his back. He caught Levi's mouth in another kiss when the smaller man's lips trailed along his jaw. He lifted his hips when Levi's got his belt unbuckled and undid his fly. The jeans got tugged down over Eren's hips, and then Levi scooted down to get the singer's boots off. The socks and pants followed, and then Eren was left with only his half-open flannel shirt on. The fire pit kept one side of him warm enough, but his other side was getting cold.

Levi covered them both up with the thickest, topmost blanket. His lips were cool against Eren's, but his mouth was hot. The agent levered himself up a bit when Eren started working on helping him to get his pants down. Levi reached down to fondle Eren, wriggling his hips to assist with freeing himself from his pants. His tongue swirled and thrust, his low hums tickling Eren's mouth. The smoky crackle of the fire started feeling a little too hot, and Eren realized that he and Levi had somehow migrated closer to it.

"Hold up," said the agent breathlessly.

He scooted over, and Eren did the same. Once they were a more comfortable distance from the fire pit, Levi started kissing him again. They rubbed against each other, growing increasingly more eager. Eren grabbed blindly for the lubricant with one hand while chafing Levi's nipples beneath his sweater with the other. Levi unscrewed the cap while Eren held the tube, and once it was open, he slid down under the blanket.

"Hnnh," moaned Eren when his husband's head started to bob up and down beneath the covers. He spread his thighs, his mouth dropping open with pleasure. He could hear the sucking, slurping noises Levi was making. Eren gasped as a lubed finger entered him, and his hips canted in response.

Levi's head bobbed faster, one hand squeezing Eren's hip while he used the other to prepare him. Eren's breath rasped in his throat, rougher and faster with each pass of Levi's mouth. The transition from one finger to three inside of him came smoothly, thanks to Levi's generous use of lubricant and the distraction of his mouth around him.

Levi finally came up for air when Eren called his name again, his voice desperate. Eren put his arms around him, staring up at Levi's flashing eyes, his narrow brows, his small nose and his sculpted jaw. The captain's face was flushed, his black hair unkempt and hanging over his eyes from being under the covers. Eren decided that Levi looked very good mussed up like this.

"Man, you're sex...y!" Eren grunted at the end of the statement, his final word breaking up due to Levi positioning himself and entering him. Eren caught his breath, bending his legs further back as he captain started to pump slowly over him.

"Too rushed?" asked Levi, staring down at him alertly.

"Don't stop," urged the singer. He grabbed Levi's ass, and he kissed his throat. "It's good, Levi. It's good."

Their mouths connected again, and Levi resumed moving. His sweater rubbed against Eren's chest, and the singer impatiently pulled it up, gasping for Levi to help him get it off. Together, they removed the offending piece of clothing, and their bodies gyrated and rocked together. Levi kept staring down at him whenever he wasn't kissing him, holding Eren's gaze. As usual, Levi expressed himself better with actions than words. His eyes said everything that Eren needed to know, but rarely heard from the captain's lips until quite recently.

Levi gasped his name, quickening his pace just a little. He didn't get rough with him. He combed Eren's bangs away from his eyes with his fingers, and he dipped his head to kiss the singer's throat. When Eren groaned tensely, Levi purred in his ear. He rolled his hips with a little more force, and Eren grabbed his ass again. He buried his face against Levi's tense shoulder, his body shaking with his release.

Levi kept going, slowing down and steadying his breathing. Eren pulled his face away from Levi's shoulder to look up at him again. Usually his spouse didn't last for this long when he topped. Levi teased Eren about his excitability, but the captain's body was highly sensitive. Tonight Levi was doing a good job of pacing himself. Eren took his hands off the smaller man's backside, and he brought them up and between their bodies to stroke his chest. He fondled the nipples, and he kissed Levi's chin when he tensed and groaned.

Levi's hips bucked sharply, his composure finally deserting him. He arched his back, bowed his head and came inside of Eren with a rough cry. The singer rubbed his husband's tightened shoulders, closed his eyes and smiled. Levi's breath rasped against Eren's cheek, and his bangs tickled his skin. When he calmed down again, he gazed down at him for a moment, and then he kissed him. It was an unhurried kiss, thorough and somewhat gentle.

Eren rubbed the tip of his nose against Levi's between kisses. He kissed the spot immediately afterwards, and then he drew his companion's head down to rest against his chest. The pillows had shifted, and Eren re-arranged them under his head. He turned his head to look at the northern lights again, able to appreciate them more now in the afterglow.

"That's really beautiful," Eren whispered. He pulled the blanket up a little more so that Levi was covered and tucked in to the neck. "Look, Captain."

Levi nodded, his head also facing the direction of the lights. "I see them. Impressive."

"You know what they kind of remind me of?"

Levi ran his palm over Eren's ribcage. "What?"

"The crystal caverns we found back in the scout days. The light they gave off was a lot like what we're seeing now."

Levi raised his head off Eren's chest to peer harder at the phenomenon. "Huh. I didn't think of that, but you're right."

"Wouldn't it be crazy if there's some crystal like that somewhere off in the mountains, and that's what's causing the northern lights?"

"I think it has something to do with the atmosphere and sunlight." Levi shrugged. "Hange would know."

"Oh yeah, I remember hearing something about that in school." Eren sighed. "I'm just going to pretend it's crystals. That sounds cooler."

Levi smirked, closing his eyes. "All right. It's crystals, then."

* * *

They stayed bundled up on the roof deck until the temperature and wind chill dipped too much for the blankets and fire pit to be enough to keep them comfortable. Getting dressed again was a fun challenge; they had to do it under the blanket, and Levi elbowed Eren in the head while doing so. They got the fire pit extinguished, turned up the heat in the lodge and warmed each other up.

The next day heralded the skiing event that Eren was so wary of. As promised, Levi started the singer out on a practice hill, and he helped Eren with his form and balance. Levi wasn't an expert himself, contrary to the impression his spouse had. He didn't get as much skiing in as he'd hoped to. He made it down one of the trails, but he hit a snow drift on the way down that had a boulder hidden underneath it, and Levi went tumbling.

Eren of course came running down from the top of the ski trail when he saw his husband go down, and he of course tripped and ended up rolling down the last few feet. The two of them helped each other up, Levi took his skiis off and they rode the lift back to the top of the mountain.

After that, Levi called it a day on the sports. Limping slightly from his tumble, he set his rented skiis against the wall on the front porch, and then he followed Eren inside. Both of them plopped down on the loveseat near the fireplace, Eren with his bruised cheek and Levi with a knot on his calf from hitting the rock on his way down.

"It's supposed to snow heavily tomorrow," remarked Levi, resting his head against the back of the loveseat. He turned his head to look at his companion. "I vote we stay in."

"Seconded," approved Eren. He rubbed at his bruise, grimacing. "In fact, maybe we should just stay in for the rest of the time we're here. So far we've nearly gone over the side of the mountain, got stranded in a snowstorm, you stubbed your toe and hurt your leg, I banged my face on something rolling down a hill..."

Eren shrugged and trailed off. He turned sideways on the loveseat to face his partner. "Let's face it Captain: our running record so far on this vacation isn't looking too healthy, and we're only on the second day in."

"Hmph. You make a compelling point." Levi also turned, and he dropped his arm on the back of the seat. "Still, staying inside the whole week seems extreme."

Eren nodded meaningfully at the other man's right leg. "More extreme than avoiding another fall like that?"

"Tch. It's ridiculous. Given everything we've been through, a ski trip shouldn't be so fucking hazardous."

Eren smiled. "It's funny, but I've noticed the simple stuff gives us the worst trouble. We can make it through fighting off titans without any major injuries, but try to have a little fun in the snow and we both get banged up."

"At least nobody lost a limb," sighed Levi.

"Well, we're here on a second honeymoon, right?" pressed Eren. "So why not treat it that way? We didn't spend much time out of our suite on our first one, except for a couple of days at the beach. We'll be snowed in tomorrow and maybe the next day, too. Why not have our own fun here?"

Levi unlaced and removed his ski boots, grimacing slightly at the discomfort in his leg. "The idea has its appeal. I can cook that meal tomorrow that I meant to cook yesterday."

"And tonight I can play nurse for you." Eren winked at him. "You've got the excuse for it now, for sure. I still think you should have it checked out by an actual doctor, though."

Levi unzipped the bottom of his pant leg, and he lifted it up to have another look at the bruise he'd earned. "Nah, it's just a little banged up. If I couldn't walk on it, then I'd go see a doctor."

Eren spread his hands. "Okay, I won't push it. Let's just keep an eye on it for the next couple of days, okay?"

"I can agree with that."

Eren reached down to take Levi's left ankle, and he propped it and his leg up on his lap, the way he'd done the day before when he stubbed his toe. He took off Levi's sock, got his other leg up and did the same with that before he began rubbing his feet. Levi leaned back, his eyes drifting shut.

"Feel good?" Eren pressed his thumbs into the ball of the other man's feet, kneading them.

"Yeah." Levi opened his eyes again. "Say Eren...why don't you go put on those scrubs now?"

Eren smirked at him. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to demand that."

* * *

The rest of their second honeymoon went relatively well, if only because they took Eren's advice and spent most of their time in the lodge having sex. Levi did muster up the courage to have one last hurrah on the ski slopes, despite Eren having some misgivings about it. He did well the second time, making it down the trail twice without incident. Eren didn't join him, for fear that his own clumsiness would somehow rub off on his husband again and make him have an accident. They spent a couple of hours in the Jacuzzi after that, and then Levi made them a nice mushroom and tomato quiche for dinner.

Neither man regretted having to leave to return home on their final day. While the trip had been a memorable one, the bone-chilling cold kept them indoors most of the time and they were quite ready to get back to the warmer climate of their home town. The drive back to the airport from the ski lodge was uneventful, thank goodness. The weather was clear and they had no more vehicle troubles, but Levi was quick to put in a complaint at the car rental concerning the lack of a spare tire available to them when they needed one.

"Levi," murmured Eren with a blush as his spouse gave the customer service representative a piece of his mind.

"Don't try to stifle me, brat," groused the agent. He looked back at the practically cowering lady behind the desk. "That shit wasn't acceptable. I know it's not your fault directly, but I want you to make damned sure the higher-ups know about this and it doesn't happen again to some other clients renting from you. If we hadn't been able to reach roadside assistance, my partner and I could have frozen to death. Absolutely do _not_ rent out cars to people in the future without making sure all necessary emergency equipment is fully stocked, understand?"

"Yes sir," she agreed, looking aggrieved over the situation. "I'm so sorry for your trouble."

Much to Eren's relief, her responses seemed to pacify Levi somewhat. "That's all right. Like I said: I know you're not personally responsible. Maybe I shouldn't have jumped down your throat and spread out, but that was a shitty way to start out our vacation."

"I'm sure it was," said the woman, biting her lip. "Sir, if you'll allow me to contact my manager, I would like to refund you some of the rental money for your hardship."

Levi checked his watch. "We've got a plane to catch. Think you can take care of that without us?"

"I'll do my best, Mr. Ackerman."

Levi nodded, and he took Eren by the arm. "Good. You've got all of our information, so just send me a text or email notification when you've gotten something done. Come on, Eren. I don't want to be late boarding and end up losing overhead cabin space to stash our carry-on."

Eren dutifully fell into step with Levi, heading for the rental business exit where a cab would come to take them to the airport. He leaned in close to the captain and spoke into his ear.

"You are super scary when you're pissed, you know that? I felt sorry for that girl."

"I was a little hard on her," admitted Levi with a shrug. "I think I apologized for that, though."

"In a way." Eren grinned, shaking his head. "I'll bet the manager would have shit himself if you'd had the chance to get onto him, though."

"No time." Levi adjusted his laptop bag's strap on his shoulder. "So your mom knows which gate she's supposed to pick us up at, right?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah, I texted it to her again just to be safe, right before you blew up at that customer service lady."

"You're going to keep giving me shit about that, aren't you?"

Eren gave him a one-armed hug, and he kissed the crown of Levi's head. "For a little bit, yeah. Man, you say _my_ temper is bad."

"If she were a titan," Levi muttered, "you'd have killed her by now."

Eren let that one go, because Levi was absolutely right about that.

* * *

"Oh, I see them!" Madeline hopped a little with excitement as she pointed at her son and Levi coming through the gate, drawing a grin from her tall blond companion.

"They seem to be in one piece," remarked Erwin softly to his fiancé. "Now you can stop worrying."

"It's a mother's prerogative to worry about her children," insisted Madeline with false haughtiness. "Even when they're grown up."

She put aside further arguments when the focus of her attention approached, and Madeline exchanged tight hugs with both Levi and Eren. Madeline stepped back, looked Levi up and down assessingly, and then did the same for Eren. She hugged her son tightly. "You boys have the worst luck I've ever heard of! When you told me about the two of you breaking down on the way to the lodge, I started lighting candles."

Eren rolled his eyes a little, but he was smiling. "Did you throw salt over your shoulder too?"

"Hey, don't make fun!" She poked him in the ribs, making him grunt. "There's nothing wrong with praying for a little luck for my boys."

"So what else happened to you?" Madeline wondered aloud. "It sure sounds like you had an adventure."

Levi and Eren exchanged a glance, and the smaller man spoke up. "Compared to some events we've been through, the trials and tribulations of this vacation were a breeze."

"Yes, well we don't really need to go there," Erwin cautioned with a meaningful, protective glance Madeline's way. She still didn't know all of the details behind Levi's ordeal and the raid, and as far as he was concerned, it needed to stay that way.

"I still want to hear all the details," insisted Madeline. "We're taking you out for dinner tonight, and you can stay overnight and get rested up before going home. I want to hear all about your vacation. Well, not _all_ about it. Some things I don't need to know about and—"

"Okay, Mom," Eren said hastily, blushing. "We'll tell you the PG version at dinner."

Levi made a curious sound then; something between a snort and a cough.

* * *

"So first you nearly went careening off the side of the mountain," Erwin summarized between bites of his filet mignon, "then on the second day you managed to nearly break your toe and go tumbling down the ski trail? Levi, I think I agree with Madeline. You two have absolutely the worst luck I've ever witnessed."

"It wasn't so bad in the end," countered Levi. He had a sip of his tea, and then he dug out another bite of meat from his lobster tail. "We just decided after that to stay inside most of the time."

"The northern lights were really cool," enthused Eren. "You would have loved it. If you and Mom get married in time to catch them, I'd recommend that place. Just don't do what we did, okay? Take a helicopter ride up to the lodges. It's probably safer."

Madeline took a few swallows of her champagne, and it was clear that she was getting a little buzzed. She reached under the table, and Erwin jumped a bit as she squeezed his knee. "I think I could handle spending a week alone in a snowy cabin with this beautiful man."

Eren coughed and quickly excused himself. Levi's face remained impassive, but his eyes flashed when they flicked to the now flustered agency director. "Well, there's not much to do up there except screw, to be honest. You could try skiing but—"

"Let's avoid that subject as well," advised Erwin softly.

Eren came back from the bathroom, and his face was still flushed pink. He took his seat at Levi's side again, and he gave his mother a wary glance. "Mom, maybe you should cut back on the drink a little. You're...uh...kind of um..."

"Drunk," Levi finished for him tactlessly.

"Am I?" Madeline peered at her half-empty glass. "But this is only my second one."

Erwin gently took the glass from her, and he gave her an apologetic look. "You don't often imbibe, love. At least eat more before drinking the rest."

Madeline appeared to have no armor against Erwin's charm. She smiled at him, and she set her glass down. "I wouldn't want to make a fool of myself. All right, dear. I'll cut myself off for now."

Levi blinked, subtly betraying his surprise.

* * *

"He's really good for her," whispered Eren to Levi later that night, after they made it back to Madeline's home. He nodded, sure of his decision. "Yeah, the commander's really good to my mom. I think it'll be okay, Levi."

Levi grunted softly, and he opened up the can of alcoholic tea he'd bought for himself on the way back. "Just remember you said that."

Eren frowned. He was really trying hard to accept his mother's relationship with Erwin, and he knew how badly Erwin had treated Levi in the past. It sometimes made him want to punch the man in his perfect, squared jaw even today...but Erwin had changed.

"Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive him?" Eren glanced out the sliding glass door to the back porch, where his mother and Erwin were talking outside.

Levi stared at him silently.

"Come one," prompted Eren gently. "He's done a lot to make up for it, Captain."

Levi shrugged. "I guess I just hold grudges longer than most. The truth is, I've already forgiven the bastard. I can't forget, though." Levi's pale gaze shot to the couple outside. "That kind of hurt doesn't go away no matter how much I wish it would. What's worse is I feel...guilty."

Eren cocked his head inquisitively. "Why?"

Levi sighed, and he took another sip of his drink. "You won't like it."

"Tell me anyway," insisted the singer. "Trust me, Levi. You know I'm going to love you no matter what."

For a moment, Levi's pale features took on an expression of pure, open conflict. In fact, Eren thought he might be on the verge of tears. Reaching out for him, Eren squeezed his hands. "It's okay. Whatever it is, just tell me."

Levi's breath shuddered softly, and he averted his gaze. "Part of me still loves the fucker. I hate that. I'm with you. You're my goddamned husband, but there's this...sick feeling I get. I don't know if I'm ever going to be completely okay with this. I'm trying. Fuck knows, he's climbed mountains to change himself. I'm just not that generous, Eren."

It hurt a little to hear it, but Eren knew how deeply Levi's connection went with their former commander. Some might even call it a curse, the way those of the Ackerman bloodline attached themselves to others so completely.

"Thanks for telling me," whispered Eren. "I'm not mad. You shouldn't feel guilty, Captain. Erwin was...well, you had a bond with him before I came along. I think...I think he still loves you too. Maybe this isn't easy on either of you, but I can tell he loves Mom also. Do me a favor? Try not to let the past mess up the future, okay?"

Levi took a deep breath, and he nodded. "I'm trying, kiddo. You know I don't stray, right? You trust me, don't you?"

Eren smiled. "Without question, Levi."

Levi looked at him. "Well then, Hange would say we need to intervene."

Eren's brow furrowed. "Huh?"

Levi nodded at the couple outside, who were both standing very close together. Erwin seemed to be putting all of his effort into not touching Madeline. "They've gotta get laid, idiot."

Eren blinked, his bright eyes dilating at the implications. "Uh...oh. B-but..."

"She's a grown woman," insisted Levi, "and he's a grown man. They're engaged and Erwin's got such a hard-on about proving he can be a gentleman, he's probably got a serious case of blue-balls. I'm sure Mads is going crazy too. If we're really gonna move on, then let's take a page from Hange's book and get things rolling."

Eren couldn't have looked more horrified if he'd tried. "L-Levi, are you telling me we should um...push them to...er..."

"Fuck," finished the agent succinctly. He nodded. "Yeah. They're going to be married soon. Don't you want Mads to be happy? They've waited long enough."

"I...I...I..." Eren couldn't find the words.

"Something's got to give," reasoned Levi firmly, his lips tightening with resolve. "We both want them to be happy."

"B-but it's my _mom_!"

Levi's cool expression didn't waver. "Yeah, and it's my ex. Time for us to deal with it, brat. They love each other, right?"

Eren bit his lower lip. "Ah, okay, but...you do it."

Levi shook his head. "No, you."

"Oh, come on!" Eren threw his hands up, and he leaned over the dining room table and dropped his voice to a hiss. "Do you _really_ expect me to go out there and tell the commander to do my mom? Seriously!"

"I've already tried," revealed Levi. He had another deep swallow of his beverage, and he coughed a little. "Your turn."

Eren cast an uncertain glance out the sliding glass door, and his jaw dropped. "Oh...my... _god_. She's feeling him up!"

Levi's head turned so hard that he probably came close to giving himself whip-lash. He looked with widened eyes at the spectacle of Madeline palming Erwin between the legs, and he suddenly started to laugh ugly.

"Um...baby?" Eren looked at his spouse uncertainly, worried over his unexpected bout of hilarity.

"Fine," wheezed Levi, waving a hand. "I'm fine. Shit, that's...holy fuck, they need to get laid."

"But...are you okay?" Eren regarded Levi with true concern. He'd never heard him laugh that way before.

"I'm okay," insisted Levi after catching his breath. He looked the singer dead in the eye. "Do something about this, because if I have to I'm just going to make them both feel like shit."

Eren sighed deeply. He dropped his face into his hands. "Why me?"

* * *

"Madeline, dear heart..." Erwin struggled to get his betrothed hand off of his goods without being forceful. It certainly didn't help that said goods had reacted with such vigor to her fondling. "Soon."

"I know," she breathed into his ear, and she nibble the lobe of it. "I know you want to wait. You're such a sweet man, Erwin, but I—"

"Ahem..."

They both went still at the sound of Eren Jaeger clearing his throat. Erwin felt the heat rising in his cheeks like a furnace as he looked at the son of the woman he'd just been making out with. Somehow, he managed to restrain his embarrassment.

"Hello, Eren. We were just...enjoying the stars together."

It was a stupid excuse and he knew it. Erwin wished he had a thousand bags to put over his head. By the response he got from Eren, the younger man wasn't fooled.

"Yeah, well...Mom, can I talk to Director Smith alone for a sec?"

Madeline straightened up her clothes, and Erwin steadied her when she staggered. "Of course, honey. I'll just...go and freshen up."

Erwin waited for his betrothed to go through the door before turning to address her son. "Eren, I know what this must have looked like, but—"

"Just have sex with her."

Erwin straightened up and blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Have sex with my mom," clarified the singer, his face going pink. "Sorry to be rude about it, but it's pretty obvious you both need it and...and I can't be selfish. She wants you and you've already put a ring on her finger, so just do it, okay?"

Erwin, for once, could not contain his surprise. "You...want me to have sex with your mother before our wedding day?"

Eren nodded stiffly. "Yeah. I mean, if you're really that into her. You seem to be, so yeah. Do it if you want to."

Erwin blinked slowly. "This is probably the strangest conversation I've had in some time, and I've endured quite a few."

Eren coughed, laughed and shook his head. "You and me both, Commander. Look, I'm not thrilled over it, but you're an adult and so is Mom. Just be good to her, okay? Don't treat her like you did Levi. That's all I'm going to ask."

Erwin's expression darkened at the reminder of how he'd treated Levi formerly. "I would never do that. If it were in my power to take it all back, I would."

Eren breathed in tensely, and he nodded. "I know you would, sir. We can't fix that. You just be good to my mother, and I'll call it even."

Some strong emotion manifested in the blue of Erwin's gaze, and he lowered his eyes. The sweep of his pale lashes concealed his thoughts. "On my honor, Eren. I'll never be the cause for your mother's tears. I do love her."

Eren nodded, though it was a bit stiff. "Good. I think me and Levi are going to bed so...uh...have fun."

Eren retreated before Erwin could even formulate a response.

* * *

"Shit."

Levi lay in the bed of the guest bed Madeline had put up for him and Eren. Telling his husband to encourage his ex to do his mother-in-law had been all well and good, but hearing the results was something else.

"They're _still_ going at it," mumbled Eren from beneath the pillow he'd stuffed over his head.

Levi sighed. "Yup."

So far, Madeline's vocalizations had hit the sonic pitch three times. Levi found himself turning his head to look at Eren's half-covered face with a smirk. "He's always been pretty good."

Eren tore the pillow off his head and levered himself up on his elbows. "Hey!"

"I didn't say _you_ weren't good," Levi pointed out, secretly amused.

"But that's not cool! I don't talk about my exes that way in front of you."

Levi opened his mouth to give a rebuttal, but Madeline's passionate cry of release made him lose his train of thought. He groaned softly, shook his head and dropped his face into the pillow.

"Someone shut them up."

Eren nudged him with his knee. "This was _your_ idea, and now Commander Cock is going to town on my mother!"

"Pfft..." Levi tried to stifle himself, cramming his face into the pillow.

"Hey, it's not funny!" Eren leaned over him. "Mom might not be able to walk tomorrow, thanks to you."

Levi sobered himself with effort, and he rolled over onto his back. Looking up at Eren, he combed his fingers through the singer's shaggy hair. "Oi, listen to me. Erwin might give her the ride of her life, but I can promise you that fucker's gonna spoil the shit out of her tomorrow. Like you said before: he's changed and he loves the hell out of Mads."

Eren cringed a little, unable to block out the sounds of the bed knocking against the wall in the room two doors down. "Promise?"

Levi's expression softened. "Eren, I promise you he will be a gentleman. He'll probably have a big breakfast cooked up for her in the morning. Do you really think I'd push this if I thought he wouldn't treat her like gold?"

Eren calmed down a little. "Right. Sorry. I just...hearing it is kind of freaky."

"Ah." Levi sighed. "You aren't alone in that, kiddo."

* * *

Eren woke up to the smell of hash browns and fried eggs. He went into the kitchen, and he found Erwin cooking up breakfast. It seemed Levi was right. The blond was attentively preparing the meal dressed in a white bath robe, and he hardly noticed Eren's presence when he came in. It wasn't until the singer softly greeted him that Erwin looked up from his task and favored the younger man with a quiet smile of greeting.

"I hope you're hungry, Eren. I may have over-compensated."

Eren looked at the spread that the older man had laid out so far, and his eyes bugged out a little. Erwin hadn't just made hash browns and eggs; he'd cooked up a platter of bacon along with some toast, as well. "Uh, okay."

"I wasn't sure what everyone would want," explained Erwin. He took the skillet off the stove, set it on a stoneware plate warmer and began scooping up hash browns. "Best to offer a selection, I think."

Eren scratched the back of his head uncomfortably, and he tried not to think of the noises his mother had made the night before. "That's really cool of you, sir. You didn't have to go through all the trouble, though."

Erwin's gaze met his, and his blue eyes were sincere and direct. "I felt the need to try."

At once, Eren realized this was the commander's way of apologizing for screwing his mother's brains out. He flushed uncomfortably, reminding himself that it wasn't up to him to decide what Madeline could or couldn't do with her own lover.

"Thanks," he forced himself to say, "for trying to be such a gentleman. Mom...um...she deserves that, you know. I appreciate how hard you're trying for her."

Erwin relaxed, and he favored Eren with a small smile. "She's a special lady, your mother. I give you my word that I'll treat her as such."

Speaking of Madeline, she came out from the hallway with a sleepy, satisfied smile on her face at that moment, wearing a yellow satin robe. She practically floated into the kitchen, and she didn't seem to notice her son standing there at first. She had eyes only for Erwin, and she approached the blond and hugged him, kissing him on his dimpled chin.

"Morning, handsome."

Eren cleared his throat, a subtle reminder of his presence.

"Oh! Good morning, son. You were so quiet I didn't notice you!" Madeline had the grace to blush over her love-stricken behavior.

Eren smiled at her, forgiving her for the lapse. Though it made him uncomfortable to think of his mother as a sexual creature, he could definitely relate to being so smitten with a person that everything else faded into the background.

"It's okay Mom. Looks like Director Smith really cooked up a big breakfast for everyone." He nodded at the table, drawing her attention to the spread.

"Oh my! Erwin, did you prepare all of that?" Madeline's eyes went round.

Erwin shrugged. "I wasn't sure what to cook. This is our first time having breakfast together."

She grinned, partly mischievous and partly modest as she glanced at Eren. "Well, it looks delicious. Eren honey, maybe you should check on Levi. I wouldn't want him to miss out on anything while it's all still hot."

Eren nodded, happy for the excuse to leave his mother and Erwin to some privacy. They were already staring at each other with lovers' eyes and it was making him queasy. He went to the spare room he and Levi had slept in, and he found the captain still rolled up in the bed covers like a burrito. Levi hadn't slept well at all thanks to the knowledge of what was going on in the master bedroom. Neither had Eren for that matter, but it had to be worse for the captain due to his previous relationship with the man Madeline was making so much noise with.

"Hey," murmured Eren, bending over the bundle that was his husband. He gently shook what he assumed to be Levi's shoulder. "Captain, are you awake?"

"I am now," came the grumbled, muffled response. Levi's head lifted, and he peered out from under the blankets at the singer. "What is it?"

Eren couldn't help but grin at the cute picture Levi made. "There's a nice breakfast waiting for us in the kitchen. Are you hungry?"

Levi sighed. "I don't know if I'll ever have an appetite again, after last night."

Eren seated himself on the edge of the bed, and he rubbed the smaller man's hip comfortingly. "I could bring you a plate if you aren't ready to face Mom and the commander yet."

There was another heavy sigh, and then Levi shook his head and sat up. The covers dropped away from his upper body, and he stretched. "No, that would be too obvious. I don't want Mads thinking I'm angry with her. I've just got to put on my big boy pants and deal with it."

Eren searched Levi's face for any signs of regret or sadness. While the man talked big about letting his ex move on the way he had, Eren knew that a part of Levi wanted Erwin to stay single for the rest of his life as penance for previous transgressions. Maybe the captain even thought on some level that he and Erwin might get back together some day if anything went wrong in his and Eren's relationship. The bond between Levi and his commander had transcended that of typical lovers, and as Eren understood it, that had something to do with his bloodline. Mikasa had always been unfailingly loyal to Eren in the same way, even though they'd never gotten romantically involved.

"Are you going to be okay with this?" Eren asked him seriously. Never mind that it had been Levi's idea to encourage sex between Erwin and Madeline in the first place.

Levi looked at him, and a flicker of doubt manifested in his gaze. Still, he shrugged. "I have to be all right with it, don't I? I can't expect them to deny nature and live celibate just because I've got some issues with the past. Besides, that wouldn't be fair to you, either. You're my husband, not Erwin. I wouldn't even _want_ to marry the guy even if he'd asked me before you and I reunited. It doesn't make any damned sense for me to harbor any resentment for their relationship."

Eren lowered his gaze, and he nodded. It did hurt a little to know that Levi might never be truly over Erwin Smith, but Eren couldn't blame him for that, and he knew where the man's loyalties were. It never even crossed his mind that Levi might betray him some day.

"You're happy with me, aren't you?" whispered the singer. He could have kicked himself for asking such a thing. Levi had literally gone through hell and back again to keep him safe. It had been his devotion to Eren that allowed him to fight the compulsion Zeke put on him.

"You should know better than that," Levi stated. He cupped Eren's chin, forcing him to meet his eyes again. "If I weren't happy with you, we wouldn't be sitting here right now, brat."

"I know," sighed Eren. "Sorry for being insecure."

The captain's gaze softened on him uncommonly. "You know what? You've got the right to feel that way. I sure as shit shouldn't be reacting like this to your mom and Erwin's relationship, and what's more, I shouldn't be venting to you about it. If our situations were reversed I'd probably feel the same way as you."

He looked away with a frown. "I don't get it, though. There's really nothing between me and Erwin now. We buried the hatchet, so all I can figure is that it's just leftover instincts from a time when things were a lot different."

Eren bit his lower lip. "Do you think it could be because of the Ackerman bond, Levi?"

The captain's brows pinched. "The...what?"

"The bond," reiterated Eren hopefully. "The one your bloodline seems to form with people. You told me about it a few times, but I didn't think of it until now. Everyone in the Ackerman family seems to have one person they kind of connect to for life, right? Your uncle Kenny had the king, you had Erwin and Mikasa had me. What if _that's_ really to blame for your mixed feelings?"

Levi's eyes went blank. "I'll be damned. Eren, I think you're onto something. That link between me and Erwin got broken with death and now my bond is with you, but maybe my spirit still clings to it just because it's in my nature."

Levi smiled just the tiniest bit, betraying some relief. "It's not because I still want him at all. It's because I was his sworn right-hand man for so long. I've just got to shake the instinct to be what I used to be to him."

Eren smiled, pleased to have solved the mystery. He just hoped he was right and not making excuses for lingering feelings of love that his husband might still harbor for the handsome blond.

* * *

-To be continued


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is busy making plans for Erwin and Madeline's upcoming wedding. Meanwhile, Levi has a revelation after having a personally intimate experience that shakes him to his core. Eren does his best to help him, determined as ever to get their lives back on track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! I've been getting side-tracked and haven't had as much time to write as I would like.

Erwin and Madeline had been somewhat ambiguous about the exact date of their wedding until the night they finally slept together, and after that, Erwin set everything into motion. Eren had to hand it to the man; he got shit done once he had his mind set on it. Within two months they had the location for both the wedding and the reception booked, and Erwin set his vacation days at work to go on their honeymoon afterwards.

At first, Eren thought Erwin's rush was purely out of a desire to do honorably by his mother, but then Madeline let it slip that she'd mentioned Eren's band possibly going on another tour by the end of the year. Apparently Erwin decided that it was better to get hitched sooner before that happened than wait until afterwards. Either way, it was fine by Eren.

His hair was as long as it used to be before he reunited with Levi, and while Eren kept it trimmed and took care of it, he didn't feel any pressing need to go back to the shorter hairstyle. Levi was fine with that. Eren kept expecting him to suggest he cut it again, but he never did. Levi seemed to be truly content with the length of his hair, and it did suit his rock star image better than the cleaner-cut look.

As for Levi, he was doing more or less okay. He was back in his department, running his team of field agents without doing hardly any field work himself any longer. The good thing about this was that it gave Levi more time to spend with Eren and at home, and it opened up greater possibilities for Levi to accompany him on some tours. With his position back in place at the agency, Levi could work away from home under most circumstances.

The problem was that it almost left too much free time on his hands. Levi was still a man of action like always, and he was still dealing with trauma from his ordeal. He was good at downplaying it most of the time, but Eren knew better. He encouraged Levi to talk to him when he thought the man needed an ear, but when he could sense that Levi wanted solitude within himself, Eren didn't pressure him.

It was hard to wake up at night alone in bed sometimes and find his husband sitting alone in the dark in another room, or outside on the porch. It hurt Eren's heart to see him that way, but Levi's restlessness wasn't something he could cure for him through his love alone. Eren consoled himself in these moments with the reminder that the captain was strong, a survivor. Eren could give him love, understanding and support, but the rest was up to time.

Eren did find that keeping Levi occupied seemed to help, so he didn't complain when the agent worked in his office some days of the week instead of doing it from home. He joined Levi for his morning workout routines even though Eren wasn't a fan of getting up that early, they walked the dogs regularly together and when Levi's quest to stay busy made him less available, Eren didn't say a peep about it.

That was why the wedding between Erwin Smith and Madeline Jaeger was an even bigger blessing; it was something everyone could help plan for, even Levi. Eren wondered if his mother might have suggested the timing partly because she knew Levi was still having a hard time. She'd always been good about planning events to brighten the darkness in people's lives.

* * *

"You want to put my uncle Kenny next to Hange and Moblit?" Levi oggled his spouse after looking over the seating arrangement Eren had come up with for the reception.

"Why not? It could be entertaining."

"How?" Levi demanded. "Let's say we use this scenario. All right, now they're both dead on the floor with Hange's hands wrapped around Kenny's throat and his knife in her neck. Great wedding gift for happy couple."

Eren gave Levi's knee a pacifying squeeze beneath the kitchen table. "I don't think it would come to that. If anything, they might end up too busy eyeballing each other wondering which one of them is going to screw up first and say something wrong. It could even keep them quiet."

Levi sighed. "I don't even get why they let him out."

"He's on probation," soothed Eren. "You said yourself people are keeping an eye on him."

"But what was Mads thinking by inviting the creep? Does she want her wedding ruined or what?"

Eren sobered, his gaze softening on Levi beneath the rich brown shag of his bangs. "Maybe she was thinking he helped save your life, and she did it out of appreciation for that. Mom loves you."

Levi couldn't think of a comeback for that. It sounded just like something Madeline would do, in fact. He lapsed into silence, staring down at the seating diagram for a while. She'd been the one to suggest they take care of this part, possibly because they knew all the guests that would be there for Erwin better than she did.

"All right," he said at last, "we'll try your idea. If it ends in blood, it's on you."

* * *

It seemed Levi's misgivings about Kenny attending the wedding and reception triggered something worse later that night. They had an evening walk with the dogs and enjoyed a nightcap by the pool. They watched the evening news on the television in their bedroom before turning in. They kissed and cuddled for a while, but didn't engage in sex as they were both worn out from the day's activities and all the planning.

It felt like he'd only been asleep for a little while when Levi's rest was interrupted by a crippling fear that he couldn't understand or describe. It struck him suddenly, like an explosion. Completely disoriented, he sat bolt upright in the bed, gasping and flailing at invisible enemies. Disoriented, he didn't even know who he was or where he was at.

Hands grabbed at him, and Levi fought against them blindly. Had he not been in a state of panic, he could have done quite a bit of damage. As it was, he lacked his wits and instincts in the moment. He was embraced tightly, and it took him a moment to recognize the voice speaking urgently into his ear.

"Levi, it's me, Eren! It's okay. I've got you, baby. You're safe."

The world came back into focus. The dark abyss Levi felt like he was about to get sucked into retreated, allowing some clarity of thought. He shivered and stopped struggling in his companion's arms, panting to clear his head. Eren moved a little, and the bedside lamp clicked on to its lowest setting. Now able to see in the dim light, Levi took in his surroundings and reassured himself that he was home in bed.

Eren embraced him again, pulling him close and urging Levi's head against his chest. He stroked the suffering agent's hair, murmuring into it.

"Shh, it was a nightmare. Let it go, Captain."

Shuddering, Levi buried his face against the warm, solid reassurance of Eren's chest. He hugged the singer tightly, thinking to himself: _"I'm Levi. I'm Levi,"_ over and over again until it sank in as truth.

"Tried to take me...away again," he mumbled, barely aware he was speaking.

"Nobody's taking you anywhere," promised Eren firmly. "I'll never let that happen again. Just breathe, Levi. Your heart's racing."

No doubt about that. Levi shivered, chilled. They'd turned the temperature down on the thermostat before bed because Eren tended to get hot and sweaty in the night, but now the cold in the air was getting to Levi in an uncommon way. Eren picked up on that, and he gathered up the comforter to wrap Levi up in it. He rocked him soothingly, his hands alternating between stroking his hair and his back.

"I wish I could fight this battle for you," sighed Eren. "I wish I could make it go away, so things could go back to the way they were."

Levi closed his eyes. How ironic it was that their roles had reversed. Now Levi was the one needing rescuing, and Eren was the protector. It rankled him to be so vulnerable, to need another's strength to carry on. Not even in his youth had he relied on anyone this way. His one consolation was that it felt good to be in Eren's embrace...safe. The scent and feel of him reassured Levi that he was still there, not trapped in his head imagining he was safe at home.

"Eren," he whispered, unsure of how to put his desires into words. He wanted more, but it was too embarrassing for Levi to request the way he wanted it out loud.

"What is it, Captain?"

Eren kept rubbing his back, and he pulled away a little to gaze at him inquisitively. His eyes looked so clear and green in the moonlight. Damn, but Levi loved those eyes.

"I want...that thing you do."

Eren frowned a little. "Which thing? There's a few of them...some you usually complain about."

The agent sighed. "You aren't making this easy. I'm talking about sex, you thick-skulled brat."

"Oh." Eren went quiet for a second. "Are you sure? You're pretty shaken up, so if you're just trying to prove something to yourself—"

"I'm not," insisted Levi, hating to have his vulnerability pointed out. He couldn't blame Eren for that, though. Not when the man was just trying to be considerate of his state of mind. "I'm not trying to prove anything. I just want to feel...you. But not...not just a screw. Ahem, I want you to...shit, don't make me say it."

A subtle smile manifested on the singer's lips. "I get it. I know what you want, baby. It's okay. You don't need to be shy about it."

Levi huffed a little, chagrined by Eren's understanding. Sometimes it was hard for him to believe this was the same guy he'd helped trained in that other life, but if Levi thought about it, Eren always did have his cocky moments from time to time back in the day. This wasn't quite the same, though. Now he had the self-assurance of a man. Not arrogant, but confident.

Before Levi could try and downplay his own awkwardness by excusing it on his poor social skills again, Eren was kissing him. He started with gentle pressure, his lips moving against the agent's tenderly. It was exactly what Levi was after, and his face heated in response. His pulse quickened as that skillful mouth again demonstrated to him Eren's talent for kissing. When the singer nudged his tongue past his lips to deepen the kiss, Levi tingled all over with a thrill.

Eren's ability to excite him hadn't diminished—which still surprised Levi to some extent. Wasn't the passion supposed to have cooled a bit by now? Even with Erwin, whom at one point was Levi's whole world, he'd eventually slipped into a more comfortable and familiar zone where a glance or a kiss didn't make him weak in the knees right away. Somehow this clumsy, reckless bastard in his arms still managed to make him breathless when they kissed.

Eren rolled Levi onto his back slowly, his tongue delving and caressing in his mouth. His hands worked their magic on Levi as he made out with him, and low hums of arousal vibrated in the singer's throat. There were no barriers between them underneath the sheets, as the couple tended to sleep in the nude most of the time. Eren's warm length steadily grew against Levi's thigh, testament that he wasn't just agreeable to this for Levi's sake.

Levi's fingers carded through Eren's thick brown hair as his kisses meandered away from Levi's mouth to his throat. The agent sighed, closing his eyes at the feel of that mouth against his skin, working its way down lower gradually. His instinct was to roll back over and put Eren beneath him. That was always his impulse with his lover, because Eren had always been so open to giving over control to Levi, whether he was topping or bottoming. Levi resisted the urge this time, conceding dominion of the encounter to his spouse, who was trying so hard to reassure him and pleasure him.

Levi felt his muscles tighten involuntarily with anticipation as Eren's mouth ghosted its way further down to his chest. He made himself relax, taking a deep, calming breath. Eren teased him, his lips pressing kisses along Levi's pectorals, his breath ghosting over his nipples until they tightened. His hands curved over the muscles on the outside, fondling without touching the most sensitive parts.

"You're stalling," breathed Levi, growing impatient.

"I'm taking my time," corrected Eren. "I've got to do that, if I'm going to make love to you."

Levi fought back a groan. This was why he only agreed to let Eren do it this way one out of every five times they had sex. It drove him crazy, and once Eren got him worked up, it was very challenging to hold back his aggression. He could see by the little smile Eren favored him with that the other man knew he was pushing his buttons. He'd asked for this in his own roundabout way, though.

Levi rubbed his inner thigh against Eren's hip, his fingertips playing over the busy singer's shoulders with silent encouragement. He kneaded the muscles, sighing in response to the lusty sensations Eren was inspiring in him. He gasped when Eren finally touched a nipple, circling it with his fingertips before pinching it. The singer followed up by kissing and licking the other one, then tugging gently at it with his lips.

"Hah," Levi breathed, shivering at the resulting tingles. He reached out blindly to the left, fumbling for the drawer in the bedside stand. Distracted by the pleasure, it took him a minute to get it open and liberate the tube of personal lubricant inside.

"Mmm, I was going to suggest that," Eren murmured, pausing for a second to speak. He resumed his attentions again, one hand slipping down lower. His fingertips brushed through the groomed patch of hair framing Levi's swelling genitals, and then he cupped the agent between the thighs, rubbing up and down the length of his cock.

Levi's breath quickened further. His hips flexed, rising to meet his partner's touch eagerly. He bit his lip as Eren flicked his tongue rapidly against the hard pebble of his nipple. Levi's face was heating familiarly, and he knew he was flushed with passion. He ran his hands over the other male's body, savoring the feel of skin, sinew and muscle beneath his fingertips.

Eren paused in stroking Levi's goods to lube him up. The gel was cold. It made Levi shiver briefly, but his body temperature was in stark contrast to the chill of the lubricant. It warmed quickly as Eren liberally applied it, his fingertips kneading and rubbing at the sensitive pucker. Eren's mouth traveled back up from Levi's chest, covering the other man's in a silken kiss. His touch was gentle but insistent, and when a finger went in, Levi hummed in approval at the invasion of it.

Eren stopped kissing him to lift his head and gaze down at Levi. Shadows and moonlight contoured the singer's face, casing some features in a soft glow and shading others. Levi stared back at him, silently awed. The way Eren looked right now, with his long hair falling around his face and that warm, amber glow of lust in his eyes...Levi thought he could just stare at him all night long.

As if Eren had plucked that thought from the agent's head and made it his own, he whispered: "I never get tired of looking at you. Especially when you're like this."

"Like what?" asked Levi, downplaying the way that statement made his heart skip a beat.

Eren smiled. "Soft. Erotic. Seductive. All of it. You're fucking beautiful, Captain."

Levi looked away, touched and embarrassed at once. He wondered if he would ever be comfortable with pillow talk like that. He'd always been good at talking dirty to the point of vulgarity, but romantic overtures were still were he stumbled.

Eren didn't comment on Levi's reaction to his amorous talk; there was no need. He'd long since accepted his partner's limitations on the matter of sweet talking. Levi knew that as long as he made an effort to open up to Eren and share his thoughts and feelings with him, the man could forgive his other social failings.

Those persuasive lips closed in again for another kiss, and Levi's mouth dropped open slightly to give Eren access. His breath hitched a little in his chest, and a quiver of need rippled through Levi's body. Perhaps he was just imagining it, but it seemed to him that Eren's sexual skills kept increasing. The bastard knew how to touch him with hardly any guidance from Levi. These days, Eren seemed to instinctively read Levi's moods and act accordingly. Whether he wanted it rough, kinky, quick or slow, the singer was very good at fulfilling whatever desires Levi had.

"Shit," gasped Levi when Eren found the proverbial magic button inside of him and started thrumming it. That was another thing the brat was good at—keeping him off guard with contrasting actions. Levi wasn't expecting him to be so aggressive with his g-spot. At least, not on the first round when he was doing his best to be tender with him.

Eren's mouth covered his again, swallowing the smaller man's shocked exclamations. He had two fingers inside of him now, and he was mercilessly playing that sweet spot like he played his keyboard on the stage during certain songs. Levi's hips jerked impulsively. His chest hitched with startled gasps. Contrary to the way Eren was fingering him, his kiss was epicurean...lazily sensual.

Eren kept up that drugging kiss as he worked his magic inside Levi's ass, and to his chagrin, the agent felt his orgasm approaching at an alarming rate. He didn't have time to brace himself for it, couldn't even begin to hold back the scream that built in his chest when that overwhelming burst of pleasure made his vision go white for a moment.

Levi thought he heard himself call out Eren's name in a ragged, desperate manner. It got dragged out of him just like that scream as soon as the other man broke the kiss and stared down at him, panting softly.

Stunned, Levi became aware of his toes, and how tightly they'd curled up. He consciously tried to relax them when he felt a cramp threatening in his left foot. Wide-eyed and a little confused, Levi drew in oxygen like a man that had nearly drowned. Lying on top of him, watching him recover, Eren's stomach was slippery against Levi's. It took the smaller man a moment to comprehend that the slickness was from his own cum. He'd blown so much spunk all over them that they were both covered in it from pelvis to chest.

At once, Eren grinned down at him. The tone of his voice was pleased and a little awed as he spoke. "Did I just find a new technique, baby?"

"What...what made you...try that?" panted Levi. "That was...different."

"I just felt inspired." Eren kissed him tenderly on the nose, still grinning. "You've always discouraged predictability, always pushed me to use my head and think outside the box, both in combat training and in life. I thought I'd take a chance and mix it up a little."

"Well, you...certainly mixed it up," breathed Levi, still tingling and throbbing from the experience. "Could have warned me, brat."

"That would have ruined the surprise." Eren nuzzled Levi's neck, and his fingers pumped slowly inside of him. He touched his prostate again—gently this time, and he nibbled Levi's ear when he gave a little jerk and a grunt. "Too sensitive for more right now?"

"Yeah," admitted Levi, still winded. "That was fucking intense."

"Meaning you liked it?" prompted Eren, smiling against Levi's ear.

"What do you think?" groused Levi, sarcastic as always when he thought someone asked him a stupid question. "The evidence is all over both of us, idiot."

Eren glanced down, lifting his body a little to inspect the thick globs left behind from Levi's ecstasy. "Wow. With that much batter, we could make pancakes."

"Don't be disgusting," snorted Levi, though he couldn't resist a little smirk of his own.

Eren chuckled, the sound soft and delighted. He met Levi's eyes again, and he sobered. He withdrew his fingers from inside Levi, saying nothing of his intentions. Levi didn't need to be told what was about to happen. The way Eren's body shifted on top of him to wedge his hips between his thighs was answer enough, and the velvety feel of the tip of Eren's cock pressing where his fingers had just been confirmed it.

Levi bent his knees back, spreading himself wide beneath his husband in silent invitation. Eren paused for a moment to get more lube and apply it to himself for added glide, and then he slowly filled Levi, holding his gaze as he fed him his entire length. Levi's breath escaped in a quiet rush, his lids drooping and his mouth falling open. He was still very sensitive inside from that explosive climax Eren had given him. The pressure of Eren's dick sliding against that spot was enough to make Levi gasp, and his insides quivered around the penetrating length.

Eren sighed as if in relief to be joined with Levi, and he started kissing him again. He took it slow, obviously trying not to be too eager and risk giving Levi more sensation than he could bear. It was almost _too_ slow for Levi, but he'd asked for this and he knew Eren would want to take his time.

Levi braced himself for the frustration that was sure to come with the pleasure. He wanted this...wanted to feel that love and devotion Eren always managed to convey to him when they did it this way. He returned the singer's kisses, ran his hands over his body and examined the feeling of Eren's cock sliding steadily against his throbbing prostate. Levi closed his eyes and groaned. It was building again already. Damned good thing Eren was going so slow, because he knew he wouldn't have been able to take it if he'd started ramming him.

"You're getting that look again," gasped Eren, pulling back to watch Levi's face. The singer's expression was tense with the effort to keep control of himself.

"Feels good," managed Levi. He was having trouble catching his breath. It seemed almost absurd to him that he was already feeling that tension coming back. He was still soft though, his cock taking longer to catch up with the rest of him. Levi wondered if it was possible to orgasm without even getting a hard-on, but with each steady, deliberate thrust Eren delivered, the possibility seemed more likely.

Maybe his dick was just too tired from the last time to act accordingly. Maybe blown everything in his reserves and there was just nothing left to come out. Maybe he was having an emotional orgasm, and not a physical one at all. Whatever was going on, he could feel it all through his insides, his pelvis and even the small of his back. It was different from what he was used to, and he was again pulverized with confusion.

"Ah...Jaeger...sweet merciful fuck, I think...I think I'm..." He couldn't believe it, and yet it was happening. Whether it was because that gland inside him was so sensitized right now or because he was having some kind of fucked up emotion-gasm, Levi was definitely going to arrive.

"Captain?"

"Don't stop, you shit!" Levi reached down, grabbed Eren's ass and rutted up against him, desperate to finish whatever the hell was happening to him.

True to his nature, Eren Jaeger Ackerman gave it his all for his husband. He kept going, rocking steadily on top of Levi and gazing at him with a kind of disbelief in his vivid, expressive eyes. Levi couldn't blame him. He couldn't believe it either. It hit him in waves, pooling in his belly and spreading out to his spine, his limbs, even his scalp. Levi threw his head back, clenched his jaw and made an animal sound of felicity in his throat.

Levi suddenly became very religious, if only in that moment.

"Oh God," he panted, shaking like a leaf. "Eren...oh Jesusfuckingpogostickonafrog..."

Eren was still thrusting over him, eyes wide with amazement even as he panted in his own pleasure. "You came," he observed huskily, "but...you didn't...I mean...come?"

Levi shook his head weakly, at a loss to explain it or even try. "Hashmmfffuu...Ijoo...faaa..."

Evidently his tongue had orgasmed too, because it was no longer connected to Levi's brain and he didn't even know what in the hell he was trying to say.

"Um...babe?" Eren stopped again, and now he was looking worried. "You're not having a stroke or something, are you?"

Levi shook his head again. "Mm-mm." It was the most coherent reply he could come up with. He squeezed his partner's ass again, urging him on. He focused his gaze on Eren, feeling the sweat beading his skin, the heat in his face. Surely he looked feverish and dull-witted, so he tried to communicate with his eyes and reassure Eren.

Eren hesitantly started moving again, trusting in Levi even though he was clearly as bewildered as the smaller man. His thrusts began to quicken as he got closer, and Levi helped him when he gained enough wits back to do so. He tweaked Eren's coppery nipples, kissed his throat and chest, used his inner muscles to squeeze and massage him. Soon Eren was cussing, spouting breathless warnings and crying Levi's name.

Levi cupped the back of Eren's head as it bowed in a telling way, leaving his hair falling over his face like a curtain. He drew him down, rubbed his sweating cheek against the singer's and listened to his moans, felt him pulse inside and fill him up.

It almost seemed unfair. Regardless of the fact that Levi's experience had left him feeling like a half-wit afterwards, a part of him wished that his spouse could have had the same cosmic explosion he did. He wished he could have shared that moment with Eren, gone into it with him so that they could both feel it together. Then again, it had been a little terrifying. Levi had felt orgasms before that shook him to his core—like the one Eren had given him before they started having intercourse. What Levi had felt earlier though was...was...

"A release," he said hoarsely, finally able to put some form of label on it.

Eren, still panting, lifted his head to regard him. His hair had fallen over his eyes, masking them so that only a glint of green could be seen between mussed strands. "Huh?"

Since Levi didn't know how to explain it in words yet—or indeed, if he could even form enough words to try, he gave up on the effort for the time being and made an excuse to pacify his husband's curiosity.

"I did come. Just didn't have any spunk left, I guess."

Eren smiled in a sleepy, satisfied manner. "Oh. That was a little weird, but if you got off, I'm happy."

Levi had no choice but to leave it at that, for now. He stroked Eren's bangs out of his eyes, drew his head down to rest on his chest, and closed his eyes. He felt an unlikely combination of fatigue and exhilaration. Charged, yet tired. He could have likened the energized part of that mixture to how he felt when faced with a battle. That feeling he got when he knew exactly what he had to do and he could execute that action with precision, confidence and a certainty that he would succeed.

In addition to that, he felt lighter. It was like he'd let go of something dark and corroded inside of himself. That sickness of spirit he'd been suffering since his brainwashing ordeal felt more bearable now, if not completely eliminated.

* * *

It was days later before Eren got a better idea of what had happened to his husband when they made love that night. He didn't mean to be nosey. He came up behind Levi in the kitchen, having woken up earlier than usual. He found him doing something on his laptop at the counter island, and at first Eren assumed it was work related. That was usually the case whenever Levi was doing anything on his computer, so Eren thought nothing of it as he came up behind his spouse, prepared to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

It wasn't UFI related, Eren discovered. Levi had his internet browser open, and he was so distracted looking at the page he'd pulled up that he didn't even react to Eren's presence, at first. As soon as Eren saw the title of the web page Levi was looking at. He read it aloud without even thinking on it.

"Full body orgasms?"

Levi gave a start, nearly spilling the cup of tea he'd made for himself. He slammed his laptop shut, turned his head to look at Eren, and then immediately turned pink in the face.

Eren almost laughed...almost. He'd never seen Levi look quite _that_ embarrassed before. He'd seen him blush plenty of times in the heat of passion, seen that flush creep up his neck once in a while when Levi was feeling awkward about something, but right now he could have had the word: _"GUILT"_ painted in bold letters across that cute face.

"What's going on?" Eren asked, checking his amusement. "Doing some research? Are you thinking of writing a book or something?"

Levi dropped his gaze, and that damned mask of his plastered itself across his features. "Just looking some things up."

Eren sighed. Patience. He had to have patience. It was hard though, because he was still trying to adjust to the fact that Levi wasn't...well...invincible. That strong capability Eren had always known from him was compromised now. Maybe forever. Levi was suffering, and he might never be able to return to being the person that Eren used to know.

Eren compressed his lips. It was _his_ turn, now. No matter what, he would take care of Levi and make good on the debt he owed to him. He would love him, cherish him, even if he had to learn to do it a different way.

"Talk to me," Eren told him in a whisper. "Why did you look like that when I saw what was on that screen? Shame doesn't fit you. I'm getting worried, and I don't understand why I _should_ be, because the Levi I know would have just bluntly said he was looking up porn stuff without batting an eyelid."

The deadpan expression on Levi's face lasted for perhaps two more seconds, and then his brows tightened. His cool gaze melted, his mouth relaxed and he grunted softly. Levi rubbed his forehead, and he opened up the laptop again to show Eren what he'd been browsing.

"I didn't tell you the whole truth the other night," confessed the agent, "about the weird orgasm, I mean. It was...it shook me up, all right?"

Eren looked at the page, and he automatically reached out to rub Levi's shoulder. He scanned over the page with his eyes, reading bits about people that experienced climaxes that weren't localized to the usual sexual spots. "Is that all? Christ, Levi...you had me thinking you were in some kind of sex chat with someone, the way you reacted."

"You think I'd cheat on you?" Levi's voice took on a dangerous edge. "Even over the internet?"

"No, of course not!" Eren winced, realizing his mistake. "I don't mean I thought you were trying to hook up. I...well, I wondered for a second if you could be um...having problems and...maybe getting some...advice."

"I see. So you just thought I was going impotent on you."

Eren wanted to slam his head against the countertop. His groan felt like it went straight to his toes. "Look, we haven't fooled around since that night, and you acted very strange when it happened. You haven't talked to me about it, you didn't even notice me coming into the kitchen and you acted like I caught you robbing a bank when I came up and saw the computer screen. You know I've got a crazy imagination, so instead of handing me crumbs and making me follow the trail to the gingerbread house, why don't you just show it to me?"

Levi frowned severely at him. "Gingerbread house? The fuck are you talking about?"

"Ah, it's a metaphor." Now it was Eren's turn to blush. "My mom...I mean Carla from the other life...she always read this story to me before bed about, uh, never mind. My point is that you're dropping little pieces of information in my lap without giving me the full picture, and I'm sitting here trying to piece it together like a puzzle. I'm not that smart, Levi. I'm not Armin."

Levi's apparent irritation cooled. He even rewarded Eren for his patience, issuing that sound that always melted Eren's heart. "Heh. All right. I'll try to explain it so you don't fry your brain trying to work it out."

Eren smiled tentatively. "That would be nice."

Levi glanced at the screen, his pale features taking on a more serious visage again. He reached down to give Lena a scratch between her ears when she bumped up against his legs, and he spoke in a low, thoughtful voice. "You don't have to worry about me having any problems getting it up. That isn't an issue."

Eren nodded, avoiding the question of why Levi slept in his office the night before last and why he hadn't been sleeping in the nude when he did join Eren in their bed. He waited, trusting the man to get around to telling him what was going on.

"I've been trying to clear my head," Levi went on after a moment.

Eren nodded again, his gaze sliding to the floor. It seemed like that was all Levi did anymore. The second honeymoon had been so great despite the misfortune they'd encountered on it. Since coming back, it felt to Eren like the distance was growing between them again. The sex had been amazing that night when Levi came so hard and then came again without...coming. Eren really thought they'd overcome another barrier, but now he wondered if there was a whole new one to contend with.

"It isn't about what Zeke did," Levi said. "It's related in a way, though."

Eren lifted his gaze, meeting Levi's eyes. "How is it related?"

He could see the struggle in his spouse's stare. It was always so damned _hard_ for Levi to do this kind of thing, but Eren refused to let him shut him out. He cupped that beloved face, pinioned Levi with his gaze. He didn't speak. He let his eyes do that for him.

"It's fucked up," said Levi, "and stupid."

Eren's smirk was raw and pained, but his eyes were loving on his spouse. "Can't be nearly as stupid or fucked up as some of the shit I've pulled in both lives."

"Hmph. Good point," agreed Levi. He sighed, again shooting a look at his computer. "I said I didn't tell you the whole truth about what happened to me that night. I didn't lie, either. I came all right, but it was something different from anything else I've ever experienced. I was feeling adrift when I woke up from my nightmares. Felt lost."

Eren felt his eyes sting. "I know."

"It's been eating me up inside," Levi continued. "What happened to me, what I nearly did while that fucker used me like a puppet. It felt like a disease or poison. You already know all of that."

Yes, Eren did know all of that. He'd been there for some of the counseling appointments, and frankly he'd gotten more out of Levi in regards to how it tormented him than any of the psychiatrists had. "Yeah."

"But that night..." Levi looked away again, seemed to consider his words before speaking again. "The first time was physical. You surprised me, and you gave me a mind-blowing orgasm that shot my composure to shit. That second one though, it wasn't purely physical. It hit me all over. Everywhere except in my dick, in fact. I didn't know what was happening to me. It felt like an orgasm, but it wasn't where I was used to feeling it. It was comparable to the release I get when you spank me, but still different. Shit, I don't even know if that makes sense."

"I think I understand. It's not the usual sexual kind of orgasm, because it's more to you than um...sex?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah, that's one way to put it. It gave me a release similar to that, but I wasn't expecting it, didn't know what to do with it or even how to explain it. When we do the bondage and the punishment and the other shit like that, I still get hard and I still ejaculate. This one was like something inside me pushing its way out. It went through every goddamned cell in my body. Thought I was dying for a second, really."

"So you think it was a full-body orgasm?" questioned Eren. "I've heard of them before. I always thought they were just myths."

"It was either one of those or something Tantric." Levi sipped at his tea, thumbing his earlobe absently. "I never went in for any of that stuff myself, so I've been looking up more about it to try and figure out exactly what happened to me. I'm...shit, Eren, I'm almost scared it'll happen again."

"Was it that bad?" Eren frowned. "You seemed to enjoy it, even if it was unusual."

"At the time I was completely at its mercy," admitted Levi softly. "It was amazing, but the loss of control was abjectly terrifying. I've been wondering if it happened because of what was done to me, thinking that maybe it's neurological. I've never had an experience like that before now, so what am I supposed to make of it?"

Eren felt his expression crumble into devastation. "But you've been fine! Okay, you've had some trauma to deal with, but that's to be expected. They haven't found any abnormalities or problems in your checkups."

"I realize that, but for my own piece of mind—tch, ironic of me to say that—I've been trying to study up on it and understand it. I don't really think it was caused by all of that brainwashing shit they did to me, if that's of any comfort to you."

"You don't?"

"No, I don't...so stop looking like the world's coming to an end. I was just trying to help you understand some of my initial concerns."

Eren closed his eyes, took a deep breath. This must be what it felt like to get news that someone you love has a tumor, and then to find out it's benign. "What made you change your mind about that?"

Levi hesitated for so long that Eren opened his eyes again to look at him. The man had a subtle touch of confusion in his expression.

"Because," Levi said, "after I came or whatever I did, I felt cleansed."

Eren cocked his head. "Cleansed?"

"Yes, for lack of a better description. I don't know if some part of me was setting up for it or what. It started when you got me worked up and had me splattering all over both of us. The grand finale was when you started fucking me and my world exploded. After that, I said—"

"You said it was a release," interrupted Eren, eyes widening. "I remember. It threw me off because that's not the sort of thing you'd normally say after sex."

"Tch, right. Normally I'd have said something like: 'your dick made me come so hard' or 'put it in again'."

Despite himself, Eren laughed. "Y-yeah, that's what you'd usually say."

Levi's gaze meandered off to the left. "Well, this time it's like your dick inoculated me or drove something ugly out of me. Not just your dick, but...you. I told you it was stupid."

Eren went still, and he stared at the other man. "It's not stupid, Levi. Not one bit."

"Right, because telling someone they've got a miracle penis that can heal me is completely logical. Puts a whole new meaning to the term 'hot beef injection'."

Eren refused to take the bait and laugh about it. This was important, and Levi's sarcasm notwithstanding, he could see by the look in his eyes that he really believed their encounter had healed something broken inside of him.

"Levi, maybe it wasn't my dick. Maybe it wasn't the sex. _Maybe_ it was just us connecting in a way you really needed, and that's what you were after to begin with."

Levi appeared to consider the theory. "So going by that logic, the formula is what? Love?"

Eren's smile was pained. His eyes were starting to water, and he wiped at them hastily. "Isn't that better than anti-psychotics and years of therapy?"

"Good argument."

Eren calmed himself to the best of his ability. It wasn't as bad as he'd feared, now that he had a better understanding of it. "I just wish you'd have told me this sooner."

Levi bowed his head. "I'm trying, Eren. I just had to figure out a way to bring it up. I wanted to have a clue of what I was talking about before I even approached you with it."

Eren reached out to cup Levi's chin, urging him to meet his gaze. "I get it, Levi. I really do. I'm not good at controlling my emotions like you are, so I can't blame you for holding back out of fear that I'd freak out on you. Are you really afraid of that...uh...special orgasm happening again?"

"No. I'm terrified."

That raw and truthful statement made Eren quiver inside, but it also inspired a fierce protectiveness within him, along with determination. "Don't be. I'm here, and we'll get through it together. If it happens again, just hang onto me. I won't let you go."

Levi's mouth parted, and he stared back at Eren for long moments before finally giving a nod. It was a small gesture of trust, but his eyes were truly what spoke to Eren in that moment.

* * *

-To be continued


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated V-day! *facepalm* This was actually supposed to be the last chapter in this story. I told myself it would only go to chapter 20, but Levi's situation is too complex to end it right now and a little drama demon took over. Looks like we'll have at least another five chapters to this one. Thank you everyone for your support and feedback!

It took Levi a few more days to feel comfortable enough to be intimate with his husband. Refusing to allow his inner fears to drive a wedge in their marriage, he initiated sex on a Monday night after Eren came home from the recording studio. Out of lingering caution, Levi topped that night. The sex was as good as ever, with no complications.

Once he determined for sure that he in fact wasn't suffering any performance problems, Levi took further steps into renewing their love life. He let Eren tie him up the next night. It was an exercise in trust, both in his partner and in himself. That encounter had positive, satisfying results as well.

He moved on to spank play next, fearful but determined to know if he could get back his full sex life without constantly living in fear of what he'd begun calling "the cosmic shakes". That time resulted in the feeling of release Levi was accustomed to with punishment and comfort. He had a good healthy climax, a feeling of euphoria and peace after it was over and a night of peaceful sleep.

Just when he thought he had it licked and that strange experience was just a fluke, it happened again the day afterwards when he and Eren had the free time for some "afternoon delight". Eren wanted to make love to him again. Levi consented to it, and this time he wasn't taken so much by surprise when the singer used that new technique on him that made him scream and shower them both with his release.

Afterwards though, when they started having intercourse, the same exact thing happened as before. Levi started to panic, tried to get Eren to stop, but it was already too late. He clutched at Eren desperately, mouth opening wide to emit a sound that was akin to a howl. Eren stilled immediately upon seeing the blank disorientation in Levi's gaze, but the agent was already caught up in another full-body orgasm. All that Eren could do was kiss him, hold him and try to reassure him while Levi shuddered, whimpered and expelled energy that went beyond the sexual kind.

That was when they both realized that the trigger was likely Eren's lovemaking method. Something about it had changed in the time since Levi started his recovery and worked on getting his life back to normal, and upon discussing it once he was able to think and speak coherently again, Levi began to understand what was different.

"It isn't just you," Levi told him, lying on top of Eren in the dark, "and it isn't just your moves."

Eren's fingertips trailed down Levi's back, caressing soothingly and tracing the winged tattoo on it. "What do you mean? Are you thinking it might have something to do with the kidnapping ordeal after all?"

"That's part of it, but not because something's wrong with my brain," Levi tried to explain. "It's us, Eren...us together like that. There's something inside me that's been trying to get free since I started picking up the pieces. Something I have to get rid of, if I'm ever going to be the man I was before. The shrinks say I've got post traumatic stress, but you know I had to have that back in the day when we fought titans and lost so many people, too. I think in this case, it goes beyond that."

Levi raised his head off his husband's chest to look at his face. Eren was frowning, staring up at the ceiling absently in thought. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," admitted Eren. "We've made love a few times since you got released. You made love to me on our vacation, and you didn't have any Tantric orgasms then."

"That's because I was topping," reasoned Levi. "It's different when you're doing it. I'm giving control to you, and you're so fucking protective and...well...sweet when you do it."

He flushed, embarrassed to describe it that way, even though it was the truth. "Especially lately. There's an intensity to it that's stronger than usual, like you're trying to...damn it, I don't know how to say it."

Eren looked at him, and there was something soft and fierce at once in his eyes. "Like I'm trying to shield you with my soul?"

Levi's breath caught a little. He nodded. "Yeah."

Eren moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, and he stroked Levi's hair. "You told me it made you feel better, the last time. You said it was like it healed something inside you. Was it the same tonight?"

"Yeah." Levi did feel that calmness again, and it was a reminder of how he used to be before all this happened. "Like you're purging something from me when you do that, but it's me, as well. I'm reacting to what I'm picking up from you. It...makes me feel like I can let go."

Eren was still. He watched Levi with the sort of studious and thoughtful manner that told the agent he was weighing options in his mind and choosing his next words carefully. "Then maybe we should keep doing it."

"Right now?" Levi's eyes widened slightly.

"No, not this minute," assured Eren. "I can see how much it wears you out when it happens, and I don't want to push you too hard. I just mean maybe you should let me make love to you like that more often. A couple nights a week, for starters? More if you think you can take it. If it has some therapeutic value to you, if it helps you—helps _us_ , then maybe we should keep doing it."

Levi hesitated for a few seconds, debating whether he could endure the intensity of it on a regular basis. His will power was stronger than his fear, though. Perhaps Eren was right. The support he'd shown him, the care and the understanding had proven so far to gain more results than any formal therapy sessions or medications.

"Maybe we should," he agreed softly, "but are _you_ sure you're prepared to see me that way again? Stripped, weak and vulnerable? Barely able to fucking talk, even?"

Levi had even _cried_ this time. He could feel the tears drying on his face, and he wondered how that made Eren feel.

"Hey, you've seen me that way more times than I can count over the years we've known each other in both lives," Eren pointed out. "Like I keep saying: it's my turn now. I'll do whatever it takes to help you, and nothing's going to make me want or love you any less."

Levi dropped his head to Eren's chest again, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat as he mulled it over. He never knew what to say whenever Eren spouted off his love and devotion to him. He was grateful, but he lacked the ability to verbally express it without feeling like a jackass. He ran his palms over the singer's body, feeling the tight muscle and sinew. With a sigh, he let himself go a little, if only to reward Eren's persistence. He felt himself blush even as he spoke the words to him.

"Love you, brat."

He could feel Eren's smile against the crown of his head as the other man responded by kissing his hair. Eren didn't say anything in response, but Levi could tell he appreciated his blurted endearment.

* * *

"This is amusing."

Erwin's shaking hands stopped struggling with the tie he was attempting to straighten, and he turned to regard Levi with one blond brow raised questioningly.

"You," clarified the smaller man with a gesture. "Nervous and shaken up like this. It's not something I get to see every day."

Erwin turned back to the mirror and resumed his efforts. His sapphire gaze was focused and determined on the task at hand. His handsome features gave away nothing of the anxiety he was feeling, though Levi knew him too well to miss it. "Can't a groom be expected to be a little flustered on his wedding day? This is going to be my first time ever to be married, after all."

"True," conceded Levi. He eyed his ex up and down, appreciating the sight of him in the tuxedo even now, when there was nothing sexual between them save the occasional lingering tension. "You look good, by the way. Mad's going to be happy when she sees you."

Erwin's guarded expression softened. It was odd to see him look humble. Odder still to see him blush. "You think so?"

Levi nodded, and he got up from the chair he was lounging in. He crossed the room to join Erwin in front of the mirror, and he urged him to turn and face him. "If you and I were still a thing, I'd probably be ripping these clothes off and having my way with you right now. Here, hold still and stop looking at me like I just told you the world is flat. It was supposed to be a compliment, not a come-on."

"Well, how would you expect me to react?" Erwin queried, smirking a little. He held still while Levi deftly secured his tie. "With our history, comments like that are always going to inspire old feelings in me. You should know better."

Levi met his eyes, and it was his turn to blush. "Yeah. I shouldn't have said that. I could have just left it as 'you look good' but I had to fucking go there, didn't I? Sorry. I really wasn't trying to make a move on you. It wasn't appropriate, especially on your wedding day."

"You don't need to be so contrite," Erwin told him gently. He reached out to lay a big hand on Levi's right shoulder, gazing down at him sincerely. "You wouldn't be Levi if you didn't say something inappropriate."

Levi snorted, resisting the impulse to squirm uncomfortably. "Guess that says a lot about me. You're sweating, old man. Don't tell me I'm going to have to talk you down the way you did for me when I got the jitters the last time we were here."

Erwin smiled at him. He and Madeline had chosen the same location that Levi and Eren used for their wedding; not to copy them, but because they both found it to be a lovely setting for their special day.

"I don't think this wedding is going to be _exactly_ like the last one we attended. I have no intention of climbing up on the roof and hiding."

"Tch. Thanks for the reminder." Levi smirked dryly. If not for Erwin's intervention, Levi might have dumped Eren at the altar like some coward. It still made him disgusted with himself whenever he thought of it, but Erwin came through for him and kept Levi from creating a disaster.

"You're here for me, just as I was there for you," Erwin went on kindly. "I would be in much worse shape if you weren't at my side, so thank you."

Levi shrugged. "Just returning the favor. How do I look? Am I a satisfactory best man?"

Erwin scanned him appreciatively, and he nodded. "The indigo color of the tux looks great on you, just as I suspected it would."

Levi nodded. He'd had his doubts about the color Erwin chose for his tuxedo, but once he put it on he found it acceptable. "Big day for you. Are you ready for this, or do I need to give you a pep talk?"

"A pep talk from you would probably involve threats of an ass kicking if I mess anything up," stated Erwin candidly. "Don't worry; I'm ready for my vows, even if I _am_ sweating a bit."

"Good." Levi stared at him for a moment, and he accepted the fact that his love for this man was never going to go away. He was more comfortable with that now than before, and he no longer felt like he was mentally cheating on Eren when he got these feelings of nostalgia.

Levi sobered, and he gave a little sigh. "So after today, you'll be my father in law. How fucked up is that?"

"It's a bit fucked up," conceded Erwin, "but I can't see us thinking of one another that way, regardless of legal documentation. You'll always be my right hand man."

"And you'll always be a pain in my ass," Levi joked, forcing a tiny grin on his lips. He sighed again, shook his head and put his arms around the taller man. "Come here, asshole."

Erwin readily returned the embrace. They hugged for several moments, and the blond planted a chaste kiss on the top of Levi's head. The bell tower began to ring, signaling the start of the ceremony. Levi pulled away from Erwin, glanced out the window and saw people taking their seats in front of the wedding arch.

"That's your cue. Time to get yourself hitched, blondie."

"I suppose it is." Erwin checked himself out one last time in the mirror.

"Hey Erwin," Levi said as a thought popped into his mind, "have you ever had a full body orgasm?"

Erwin went still, his eyes widening briefly. He turned around to face Levi with a comically befuddled expression on his attractive face. "Points for randomness. I have to again make the observation that you wouldn't be Levi if you didn't say something inappropriate."

Levi's face flooded with color. Of all the times he could have mentioned the subject, on the day Erwin was going to marry his mother in law was possibly the worst. "I...shit, I don't know why I brought that up now..."

"Because you have some pointers to give me for my honeymoon?" Erwin smirked.

"No. It just sprang to mind out of nowhere. I've...uh...had a couple of situations and I was wondering if it's ever happened to anyone else. My timing is shit...forget I said anything."

He was babbling now, mortified with himself. Apparently even now, Erwin could inspire him to say the stupidest things and completely dump his inhibitions. "I wasn't coming on to you," Levi sputtered, realizing the impression he could have just given. That was twice now that he'd made sexual comments to the man.

"I realize that," chuckled Erwin. "Don't panic."

"You sure you don't want Mike to be your best man instead of me? Or Hange, even. Hell, at this rate a shrub would be the better choice."

Erwin laughed, the sound deep and throaty. He watched Levi with open fondness, and he shook his head. "No. You _are_ the best choice, and it wouldn't feel right to me if I gave the role to anyone else. As intriguing as the subject of full body orgasms is to me, I think we'll have to save that discussion for another time. I'll be happy to talk about it more with you after I return from my honeymoon, Levi. You have me curious, I admit."

Levi had an urge to clear his throat, once again embarrassed by his thoughtless words. "Later, yeah. Though if you do it right, you'll probably too wiped out to remember I even mentioned it when you get back from your honeymoon."

There was a knock at the door, and Madeline's voice floated through from the other side. "Erwin, would you cover your eyes please? It's bad luck for you to see me before the wedding, but I need to ask Levi something."

Erwin checked his watch. "It can't wait until after the ceremony, darling? You're supposed to be walking down the isle in a few minutes."

"I really need his help for just a moment," she answered. "It'll be quick, I promise!"

Erwin shrugged. "Who am I to deny my bride anything she wants? As you wish."

The blond turned around so that his back was to the door, and he dutifully covered his eyes with his hands. Madeline peeked in, made sure her betrothed couldn't see her, and she hurried up to Levi. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, and the coils she'd fashioned her hair into bounced on her bare shoulders. The lacy white gown she'd chosen was a delicate piece of work with pearls sewn into the tapered sleeves and along the low neckline. It was an off the shoulder wedding dress, and the gauzy veil she had secured to her head also had pearls strung through it.

Madeline turned around in a full circle before Levi, holding her arms out to display herself better for his view. "Well? Do I look as pretty as I feel, or am I just deluding myself?"

Had it been anyone else, Levi might have responded with sarcasm. Because it was Mads, he allowed himself a rare little smile and he answered her with uncommon kindness. "You look as pretty as you feel, yeah. Erwin's going to shit himself when he sees you."

"This is unfair," complained Erwin, still covering his eyes with his back to them.

Madeline grinned, and she hugged Levi tightly. "Thank you, honey." To Erwin, she said: "You'll see me soon enough, handsome. You look dashing by the way, even from behind."

"Thank you," said Erwin gently. "I'll see you at the alter...wife."

"You'd better," she warned. She gave Levi one last smile, and then she whirled around to head for the door. Eren barged in before she could make it and Madeline gave a little start as he yelled for her.

"Mom? Hey, you can't just run off like that! The wedding march is about to start and I've got to give you away! You scared the crap out of me. I thought you changed your mind and ran away!"

"I'm not having any second thoughts, kiddo," she assured him, tossing a wink at Levi. "I just wanted to get your hubby's opinion on the dress before we get started. Lead the way."

"Wait," Levi said when his spouse gave his arm to Madeline to escort her, "Erwin needs to be at the alter first. You want the bride to show up before the groom?"

"Oh, right." Eren bit his lip, looked at his mother and came to a quick decision. "Okay Mom, let's duck into the room across the hall so the commander...I mean Erwin can go take his place at the alter. Hurry up, guys! The bells are ringing and the music's starting!"

"Eren, calm down," advised Levi with a sigh. "The wedding's going to happen even if the bride and groom aren't out there before the first note plays, all right? Neither of them are going anywhere."

 _~They aren't a pair of chickenshits like I was on our wedding day,~_ added Levi silently.

"I just want everything to be perfect," excused Eren.

"Honey, it already _is_ perfect," consoled Madeline. She nodded in Erwin's direction. "Even if this wedding were happening in an alley and all of our witnesses were bums and stray cats, this day couldn't be any more perfect for me. I'm marrying the man I love, and that's what really counts."

"Madeline," Erwin said in a smitten voice. He started to turn around.

"Oi, eyes covered," Levi warned, reaching up to smack the blond on the back of the head.

"You can't see the bride yet," Eren hollered at the same time.

"Ouch." Erwin rubbed the back of his head, and he wisely kept his back turned. "I'm fairly sure there's a rule against beating up the groom, Levi."

"The rule against not looking at the bride before the wedding trumps whatever bullshit rule you think you have. Eren, take her out of here so we can get this idiot to the wedding arch where he's supposed to be."

"Got it," agreed Eren with thankful grin. "Come on, Mom, before Levi beats your groom black and blue."

* * *

Levi hadn't really had the chance to appreciate the way Eren looked in his white tuxedo. The shirt he wore beneath the jacket was black, as were the polished shoes. Madeline had done well in picking out his clothes for the ceremony. With his long hair gathered into a tidy ponytail and the diamond studs in his ears, Eren looked every bit the rock star. The flash of cameras came as a rude reminder to Levi that the press was there for the event, though security was keeping them at a distance so as not to disrupt the wedding.

There were more guests than Levi had expected. All of their coworkers from the agency were there, along with Eren's band members, Kenny and of course Hange and Moblit, and several faces he didn't recognize. He assumed they were all friends of Madeline's. Levi stood beside Erwin as Madeline joined them at the arch with Eren. She kissed her son on the cheek when he gave her away, and Levi's prediction over how Erwin would react when he saw her was right on the money. The man was so enchanted by the sight of her in fact that the celebrant had to repeat himself when it came time to exchange their vows.

"The rings?" asked the celebrant after the first part of the vows were repeated.

Mike stepped up with the items in question. Erwin took the smaller band; a delicate piece fashioned into a twist and studded with small diamonds. He looked Madeline in the eye, cleared his throat and spoke his final vows.

"With this ring, I thee wed. I vow to honor, love and protect you from this day forth, for as long as we both live."

Madeline smiled radiantly as he placed the ring on her finger, and then she reciprocated with the heavier, engraved silver band meant for Erwin. "With this ring, I thee wed. I promise to love, honor and cherish you for the rest of my days. I'm not going to obey you, though...even if you _are_ the best."

"Mom," muttered Eren in an embarrassed tone.

Soft laughter rippled through the audience, and Erwin chuckled as well. Levi shot a glance Hange's way, and she spread her hands at the accusing look. "Hey, I had nothing to do with that!"

Levi somehow doubted that, but at least Erwin didn't seem offended. The couple kissed to seal the vows, the celebrant pronounced them husband and wife, and people cheered. Levi ducked his head and swore when he got pelted with rice thrown from the crowd. He thought the plan was to ask people not to throw rice, but that must have gotten written out. He glanced away when Erwin lifted Madeline's gown to reveal a leg and the traditional garter hugging the top of her thigh. Something felt off about watching that part, and he noticed with amusement that Eren had averted his gaze as well and looked uncomfortable, too.

"Are we ready, gentlemen?" asked Erwin, twirling the garter around on a finger.

"Go for it, Director," hollered someone in the back.

"Mike, go join them," Erwin instructed his blond friend. "You're not getting out of this."

Mike sniffed, and he left the arch to stand with the other unmarried men. Even Kenny was participating, though Levi had no idea who in the hell he'd have married if he caught it and followed tradition.

"On three," announced Erwin. "One...two..."

The white lilies that had been carefully affixed to the wedding arch behind Erwin suddenly exploded, right behind the director's head. The happy moment quickly turned into one of confusion, followed by panic when people realized what was happening. There hadn't been the noise of a gunshot to accompany the unexpected occurrence, but it became apparent that someone was taking shots at Erwin when a second bullet whizzed in and tore a gash in the blond's right shoulder.

"Son of a bitch," hollered Erwin, beating Levi to the chase for profanities. He dove to the ground with his new bride, covering her protectively with his own body. "On my _wedding day_?"

Chaos erupted then, and those attending the event that weren't from the UFI either scattered or hit the ground. The agents present immediately took action, yelling at people to get down while searching for the source of the gunfire. Levi shoved Eren behind the wedding arc for some cover, and he reached down to tug his left pant leg up for the pistol he'd strapped to his calf.

"Where the fuck did the shots come from?" he asked of Petra, who was crouching between the chairs, searching the area intently.

"There," Mikasa stated, pointing at the bell tower. "I just saw someone duck down up there."

"Well, ain't this a bitch," griped Kenny, reaching into his blazer. He too had defied the request not to bring any weapons to the event. "I don't know who Smith pissed off this time, but someone sure wants him in the ground."

Levi checked on Erwin, getting down on one knee behind him while aiming his pistol at the top of the bell tower. "How bad is it, chief?"

Erwin had one hand pressed over the bleeding gash, and he looked down at it. "It grazed me. It isn't serious. Get these people out of here and send a group to that tower under cover. I want that shooter alive for questioning, whoever they are."

"E-Erwin?" Madeline called in a shaken voice. "You're bleeding!"

"I'm all right," he assured her. "Stay down, Madeline. We'll get the situation under control."

His measured, confident tone of voice seemed to ease her panic somewhat. She nodded convulsively and took his free hand in hers. Levi whistled at his team and made some hand gestures, letting them know what he wanted of them. Mike was already running for the tower, and Levi saw a head poke up from inside the bell chamber. He immediately took aim and fired—not to kill, but to keep the suspect from having the chance to take another shot at anyone.

As he started working out a route to join Mike in the chase, Levi heard a sound that put his hair on edge. Hange was screaming at the top of her lungs. He skidded to a halt when he looked her way to find her cradling Moblit in her arms, and his brain registered the fact that a crimson stain was blossoming rapidly over the left side of the man's torso. Moblit appeared unconscious...or dead. Evidently, the gunman got off more shots than first suspected, and he'd succeeded in putting a bullet into at least one person.

"Shit," Jean swore, crawling over to the couple on all fours. "He's been hit! Captain Levi, Moblit's in trouble here!"

It was on the tip of Levi's tongue to thank him for stating the fucking obvious, but now wasn't the time to resort to facetious language. "Fuck me," he growled, and he rushed to the stricken man's side. Hange was in hysterics, belting out devastated wails that Levi had only heard from her once before in his recollection. The sounds were even worse now than they'd been when her pet titans got killed by Annie in her attempt to sabotage Hange's research. Now she stood to lose the man she loved, and her shrieks cut through Levi like a knife.

"Hange, pull it together," Levi advised her sternly, trying to get through to her. "Use that big fucking brain of yours and take care of him. Screaming like a banshee isn't helping Moblit, you understand?"

She had abandoned all common sense, and she kept screaming as if she hadn't heard a thing he'd said. Levi gritted his teeth, and he grabbed her by the shoulders to give her a rough shake.

"Shitty glasses! Look at me!"

Her breath hitched, and her wide, tearful eyes finally focused on him. "L-Levi...he's...been shot. He w-went down so fast, I d-didn't even realize what happened!"

Levi let go of her, and he felt Moblit's neck for a pulse. "He's alive. If you want him to stay that way, you've got to buckle down and use your medical know-how to keep him from bleeding out. Petra, call an ambulance."

"I'm already on it, sir," she assured him, keeping a wary eye on the tower while holding her cell phone to her ear. "Someone needs to be covering Mike! That guy Kenny's running for the tower too."

Levi looked, and sure enough, he saw his uncle sprinting behind Mike. Lighter of build than the blond and faster on his feet, he was quickly closing the distance and would probably pass him up soon. There was no time to debate whether it was a good idea for an ex con to get involved in the attempt to apprehend the shooter. Levi wasn't even sure what the hell was going on in Kenny's mind.

"All right, we'll cover them. Looks like Nanaba's already taking up that task."

Indeed, the blond pilot had drawn her own firearm and was holding it steady, squinting against the sunlight as she kept her weapon aimed at the top of the tower. It seemed nearly everyone from the agency had brought guns, except apparently Erwin. The irony of that was absurd to Levi. The one agent that didn't arm himself for this event was the very one the shooter had apparently been aiming for.

"Give me a gun."

Levi looked at Hange when the raw, angry request came from her. She had Jean putting pressure on her lover's wound, and Armin had somehow made it to her side to help as well. Connie and Sasha were both taking cover beneath their chairs. It looked like Moblit was the only seriously injured party so far. The bullet he'd taken might not have even been intended for him, but they wouldn't know for sure until they captured the suspect.

"Hange, this isn't the time for—"

"Give...me...a...gun," she repeated through gritted teeth. The madness in her eyes was intense. She'd gone from panicked to livid in moments, and Levi knew that if she got her hands on the shooter, he wouldn't live to see the inside of an interrogation room.

"I can't let you have a firearm," Levi told her firmly, "not when you're in this state of mind. You'll get yourself or someone else killed."

Gunfire went off, and this time it was audible because it came from a weapon without a silencer. Levi looked away from Hange to see that the shot had come from Nanaba. She dodged behind a tree, and bark flew where her head had been moments ago. Levi took aim with his own gun and fired a shot to force the suspect to take cover again.

"They won't get away with this," snarled Hange. "I'll kill them with my bare hands if you won't lend me a gun!"

"Enough!" shouted Levi in a sudden rage. "I'm not letting you get your crazy ass killed, bitch! Now stay under cover and take care of Moblit while we handle this, or I swear I'll knock you unconscious."

She blinked up at him, and it seemed to Levi that some of her rage evaporated. The pain in her red-brown eyes was hard to look at, and he spoke in a softer tone of voice.

"Trust us, Hange. We'll catch this guy and see to it he faces justice. All you need to concern yourself with is keeping Moblit alive and avoid getting shot yourself, all right? We'll do the rest."

She bit her lip, looked down at Moblit and stroked his hair away from his pale face. "Promise me, Levi. Bring him down for me."

"I promise." Levi started for the tower, picking a route that would allow him some cover behind trees and carefully landscaped bushes. He stopped again when he heard Eren call out to him in a worried voice, and he turned to look at his husband with a commanding gaze.

"Stay there, Eren. Don't let me see you come out into the open until we've got this bastard secured, got it? For all we know, they could have been aiming for _you_."

"Why would they—"

"Damn it brat, I don't know!" Levi interrupted. "You're famous, and famous people get shot by rabid fans sometimes. Use your head and do as I say."

Eren let the matter drop, and he did as advised with obvious reluctance. Satisfied that his spouse would play it smart if only because he didn't want to make Levi mad, the agent continued his trajectory and kept himself under cover as much as possible. He could hear the distant sounds of sirens already, which meant emergency workers and probably the police were on their way.

He hoped they would get there in time to save Moblit.

* * *

"Oi, fuck-face. Better drop it before I drop you."

That was the scene Mike arrived to witness when he reached the bell chamber, panting for breath. Kenny had his gun aimed right between the startled brown eyes of a man that looked to be in his twenties. The guy had unkempt, shoulder-length dark brown hair. He was wearing a pair of gray denim pants and a muscle shirt, and the rifle he held in his hands was no standard issue hunting rifle. The thing had a scope on it as well as a custom silencer. It looked like an AR-50.

"That's military grade," Mike stated, putting aside his annoyance that Kenny had beaten him to the top of the tower and gotten the drop on this kid.

Kenny tilted his head, and he spat out a glob of chewing tobacco. "Sure as hell isn't for game hunting. Get your hand off that thing, kid. I've got no incentive not to blow you away. I ain't the law and I actually know how to shoot straight."

For a minute, Mike thought the guy was going to try and see if Kenny was bluffing. He tensed at the wild, obsessed look in the young man's eyes, and he took aim with his own gun.

"He isn't the law," Mike agreed, "but I am, and I'm well within my rights to shoot you with no questions asked. Put your hands behind your head and step away from the rifle."

Levi came up the stairs at that moment. He took stock of the situation, and before Mike could assure him they had it handled, the smaller agent closed the distance between himself and the gunman. Without offering any warning or issuing a demand, Levi kicked the guy square in the face, hard enough to send him rolling across the floor. Mike winced in sympathy despite the guy's assassination attempt, because a tooth went flying out of his mouth across the floor from the blow. The gunman lay still, knocked out by Levi's kick.

"Well, that's one way to do it," Kenny remarked with a smirk.

"Give me your tie," demanded Levi.

Kenny frowned at him. "Why?"

"Because I don't have any cuffs and I want to secure this bastard's hands behind his back. I'm not taking chances waiting for security or the police to do it."

"What's wrong with your tie?" Kenny nodded at the black tie around Levi's collar.

"I don't want to get it dirty." Levi shrugged. "Yours is already stained...as if you give a shit."

"Fine," sighed Kenny. He removed his tie and handed it over to his nephew. "Just make sure I get it back when you're through with it. It's the only tie I've got."

Mike knelt down to examine the sniper rifle, though he avoided touching it as a piece of evidence. "This guy wasn't fooling around. He must have heard about the wedding over the news and planned this."

"Probably," agreed Levi. He tightly secured the culprit's wrists behind his back, and then he looked at Mike. "Does he look familiar to you?"

Mike shook his head. "Never seen him before in my life. You?"

"Same." Levi nudged the gunman onto his side, examined his face for a moment longer and then got to his feet. He went over to the window that the shooter had been firing from, peering down at the landscape. "The paramedics are here. They're putting Moblit on a gurney now. One of them is talking to Erwin. It looks like they're checking out his injury."

Mike joined him, and so did Kenny. "Let's hope they got here in time for Moblit." He glanced at their captive. "They might need to take a look at him, too. You went at his head like a football player kicking off the game."

Levi's mouth compressed. "I know. A lot of good it's going to do us to catch this guy if I gave him brain damage."

"So who was he aiming for?" Kenny asked. "I thought he was after Smith, but then Hange's man went down and I'm not so sure anymore."

"We'll know soon enough when this guy comes too," said Levi. "I don't know why anyone would go after Moblit, unless some of his old associates want him dead. Maybe he just got in the way of another target."

"I think that's what happened," Mike theorized. "I saw him go down. When the first two shots went off, Moblit jumped up and started toward us. That's when he got shot."

"Could have been trying to warn us," reasoned Levi, "and he took a bullet meant for someone else."

"Hmm." Kenny scratched his beard growth. "Maybe he was trying to shoot _you_ , Levi."

Levi looked up at the taller Ackerman with a frown. "What makes you think so? Those bullets hit closer to Erwin than me. Eren, too. I was on the other side."

"His aim sucked," Kenny pointed out. He nodded at the discarded rifle. "He's got a fancy toy there, but if he really knew how to use it there wouldn't be any need to speculate over who he was aiming for. Someone would have been dead before we knew what was happening."

"Erwin seems like the most likely target," Mike stated. The director had earned himself a lot of enemies over the years, though this man they now had in their custody didn't have the look or feel of any kind of agent. Mike sniffed in his direction curiously. The guy smelled of stale cigarettes and sweat. He could have been up in the bell tower for days, for all they knew.

Levi squatted down beside the shooter, and he started digging through his pockets. "No wallet or identification," he announced after a moment. "We're going to have to ask the staff on these grounds if anyone saw him around before this started. He might have a car parked in the lot here."

Someone came up the stairs, and they heard a man's voice announce himself as an officer. Levi gave the go-ahead for him to approach, and the policeman came in with three more officers, each of them wearing bulletproof vests. Levi and Mike showed them their identification so as to avoid any confusion. Kenny stayed quiet and let them do the talking. He'd prudently replaced his gun inside of his blazer and out of sight.

* * *

"His name is Kevin Riley," Petra informed Levi that night after everything had settled down. They were at the agency, and a full investigation was taking place. "They found his car in the parking lot after a janitor on the grounds gave a statement. He saw him arrive this morning while everything was being set up for the wedding. Officers broke into his car and found his wallet in the glove compartment. We have people going to his address to investigate there, sir."

"Good." Levi put his phone down. He'd just been texting Hange, who was at the hospital with Moblit. "Has this asshole woken up yet? Did anyone question him?"

"He woke up a little while ago, but so far he hasn't given us anything," she answered. "Something about him is...well, not right."

"In what way?"

Petra frowned, and she had a seat in the chair on the other side of Levi's desk. "When I questioned him, it was like he was looking right through me without really seeing me. He strikes me as detached. Maybe delusional, even. It's like he thinks he's somewhere else rather than a containment cell. Something doesn't seem to be connecting right in his brain. That's the best way I can describe it."

Levi sighed. "Did they have someone check him for concussion? Maybe I jarred something loose when I kicked him in the head."

"He's got a nasty bump, but they say he's otherwise all right. I don't think what's wrong with him is from your kick, sir. I think something was already broken in him. Of course, it would have to be, right? He tried to kill Director Smith at his own wedding! Either he's associated with enemy agents or he's just flat-out crazy."

"I'm leaning toward crazy, myself," Levi stated dryly, "and I'm still not entirely convinced Erwin was his target. Hell, maybe he didn't even _have_ a target in mind and he just wanted to randomly plug someone. If he's as fried in the head as you suspect, there might not have been any personal motivation behind his actions at all."

"That's a possibility. Even Mike thinks something's not wired right with this guy. It isn't just me."

"Then all we can do is keep trying to get him to talk and dig up whatever we can find at his place."

Petra nodded. "Are you going to question him too?"

"Not just yet," decided Levi. He thought of how quick he'd been to use physical violence against the guy the moment he'd seen him. Levi hadn't even been aware of how angry he was, until he laid eyes on him. "If I'm alone in a room with him right now, I can't promise I won't finish what I started."

Petra's gaze softened on him with concern. "You seem to be taking this personally, Levi."

It wasn't an incorrect observation. He looked Petra in the eye, and he spoke plainly to her. "He shot Erwin and Moblit. He could have shot Eren, or my mother-in-law. Yeah, it's a little personal to me. I need a day to cool my head before I get near that fucker again."

"I understand," she assured him. "We'll do our best to get information out of him so that you don't have to try at all, sir. How is Moblit, by the way? Is he out of surgery yet?"

"He's stable and resting," answered Levi, glad for the change of subject. "Hange says he's going to make it. The bullet went through him cleanly and by some miracle, it didn't hit any major organs."

"Thank God," she sighed. "Is Hange coping all right? I was thinking of stopping by the hospital tomorrow to give her some support and see if she needs anything."

"Right now I don't think she's up for any company. She's still seething over this and she's barely rational. Give her a couple of days before you show up."

"I see. Poor Hange." Petra got up from the chair. "Well, there's nothing left to report right now. Should I call the director and report to him?"

Levi thought about it for a moment. Erwin had taken Madeline to a hotel after getting patched up at the hospital. They had a flight to catch for their honeymoon tomorrow, but knowing Erwin, he would be reluctant to leave until he knew exactly what Riley's motivation was for opening fire on them.

"Let me handle Erwin," decided Levi. "Just keep on top of the investigation and report to me until told otherwise."

* * *

Erwin was indeed facing a conundrum. His wedding had already been ruined by the sudden and bloody event. They hadn't had the chance to have the reception they'd planned for afterwards, and he wanted to maintain some sense of normalcy by going on his honeymoon as planned. However, he didn't feel right about abandoning his responsibility and taking off while there were so many unanswered questions about the incident.

He was sitting on the bed in their hotel room, staring down at the smart phone in his hands and debating what to do. He'd pulled up the website for the airline on his browser, and Madeline came out of the bathroom in her robe to find him frowning down at the phone. She walked over to him and sat down beside him, and she started rubbing his shoulders.

"Is there a problem with the flight?" she asked upon seeing what he'd pulled up on his phone.

Erwin looked at her, hesitating. She searched his eyes, saw the troubled expression. She cupped his face in her hands. "What is it, sweetheart?"

He glanced down at the phone's screen again. "I'm facing a difficult choice. Either I disappoint my wife and put our honeymoon on hold, or I abandon my comrades and leave them to handle this investigation without me. Neither option sits well with me."

Madeline's face went through an interesting blend of expressions, and then it settled into a look of resolve. "I don't want to be the reason you have that guilty look on your face, handsome. That man tried to _kill_ you, and he nearly killed Mr. Berner. If delaying our honeymoon so that you can help with this investigation will help put your mind at ease, then the decision is easy for me. Cancel the flight reservation and call the lodge. We can set it for a later date."

"How did I end up with such a patient, understanding woman?" Erwin smiled at her in a pained manner. "Are you certain? I wanted to at least give you an enjoyable honeymoon, since the wedding ended in such disaster."

"It's like I told my son," she assured him with a brief kiss on the lips. "I'm married to the man I love. The only way our wedding could have been ruined would have been if that son of a bitch had actually fatally shot you, instead of missing. The lodge will still be there in a few weeks, or months, or however long it will take for this situation to get dealt with. We can make our own mini honeymoon right here, until then."

He caressed her face, still slightly damp from the shower she'd taken. "All right. I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"I know you will." She rubbed her nose against his with a smile. "While you're doing that, I'm going to slip into something a little more...revealing."

"Oh?" Erwin grinned. "Would this something be made of silk or lace?"

"Both." She winked at him, got up and went to her suitcase. "No peeking. It's a surprise."

Erwin turned his back politely while his new wife dug through her suitcase for whatever intriguing garment she intended to wear for him. His phone rang, and he looked down at the ID.

"Ah, it's Levi," he informed Madeline. "Can you hold that thought for a few moments while I answer this, love?"

"Of course," she agreed with a sigh. "He might have information for you. I'll cross my fingers for some good news."

Erwin got off of the bed, and walked out the sliding glass doors to the balcony before answering the phone. "I would appreciate it if you could make this quick, Levi. This is my wedding night after all."

"I know," came the answer, "and I'll try not to keep you. I've got some information for you, but it's not that much to go on yet."

"I'm listening."

Levi explained everything that had been reported to him thus far. Erwin waited for him to finish before speaking. "And you haven't spoken to him yourself yet?"

"I will when I'm sure I won't lose my temper," said Levi. "Something in me snapped in that tower, and we're lucky I didn't kill him."

"So we are," mused Erwin. Perhaps after everything he'd already been through, Levi simply reached the limits of his impulse control. Erwin had seen it happen before. "To be honest, I don't think you should question him yourself at all. If you don't even trust yourself then you should leave it to others to handle him. I don't want you to end up suspended again."

"Tch. I guess you've got a good point. All right, I'll leave that part of it to Mike."

"I'll question him myself as well," remarked Erwin. "I may be able to get him to crack."

"You're supposed to be going on your honeymoon," Levi reminded him. "What are you gonna do, call him long distance and interrogate him over the phone? I don't think you're that intimidating, boss."

Erwin chuckled. "No, I'm going to question him in person. Madeline and I are going to delay our trip until this investigation is over with...or at least out of its infancy stage."

"No."

Erwin frowned. "Beg pardon?"

"Don't put your plans on hold," elaborated Levi. "Don't let that fucker win, Erwin. He ruined your wedding, and now you're talking about letting him ruin your honeymoon, too. I knew you'd try to do this, and I'm not going to let you. Get on that plane tomorrow and don't come back until the honeymoon is over. If I see you show up before two weeks have gone by, I'm kicking your ass."

"Levi, I appreciate the sentiment, truly. This is more important than my honeymoon, though. I've already talked to my wife about it, and she's agreed that we should put our plans on hold for now. Otherwise I'll be distracted, worrying about this case when I should be paying attention to her. That wouldn't be fair to either of us."

"Then I'll keep you updated," insisted Levi. "I'll email you every damned day even if it's just to tell you we don't have any new information yet, just take that fucking flight, go to the fucking lodge and fuck like bunnies like newly married people are supposed to do."

Erwin's brows went up, though he was hardly surprised by Levi's vulgarity. It was his determination that threw Erwin off. "Is it really that important to you that we have our honeymoon at a time like this?"

"Yes," Levi answered. "It's really that important to _you_. How many times over this past year alone have you nearly been killed? _I_ even tried to kill you. You've had so many close calls I've thought about nicknaming you Commander Bulls-eye, so don't blow off this opportunity and wait."

"Are you saying you're afraid I'll die before I get my honeymoon?" Erwin smirked. "Levi, there's no need to be so grim."

"I'm saying we never know how long any of us have to live," reasoned the other man. "Your latest close call was a stark reminder of that. I'm saying you should leave this in our hands, go enjoy your honeymoon and worry about the rest afterwards. Nothing's going to happen in this investigation within those two weeks you'll be gone that wouldn't happen with you here, and if it takes you questioning this guy to get some answers, we'll just have to improvise until you're back. Fuck responsibility for once. Do something for yourself, and if not, at least do it for Mads."

Erwin's gaze went blank. That last part was the most persuasive argument Levi could have offered, and it worked. He couldn't in good conscience deny his wife this planned getaway, even if Madeline understood and supported his reasons.

"Damn," he said at last. "I...can't think of a rebuttal to that."

"Don't even try," suggested Levi. "Just take my advice, have a good vacation and put work aside for a change. It'll still be here when you come back, and maybe we'll even have the investigation solved by then. Trust me the way I've always trusted you, Erwin."

The blond nodded, though Levi couldn't see him doing it through the phone. "All right. You've convinced me. I won't cancel the flight or change our reservations. Just keep me updated so that I'm not left wondering. That's all I ask."

"You have my word. Glad to see you're listening to reason. I'll let you go so you can get back to your wife. Have a safe trip."

"Levi, wait," said Erwin before the other man could hang up. "Speaking of honeymoons, I just remembered something you asked me before the wedding."

"What is it?"

Erwin wasn't sure how to phrase it, but it had stricken him as so odd and abrupt at the time that he had to inquire further on it. "You asked if I'd ever had a full-body orgasm. What brought that on?"

"You want to talk about that now when your bride is waiting for you to consummate the marriage?" asked Levi.

"That's what inspired me to ask," explained the blond. "You never illuminated what prompted you to ask such a question. You just blurted it out and then said we would talk about it later, but I must admit that it's going to bother me if I don't find out what you meant by that."

Levi sighed. "All right, I'll give you the abridged version if it will get you off the phone and in the marriage bed. I had a really weird climax one night during sex. Never felt anything like it before. It was like an orgasm, but it wasn't localized to the usual places. It went all through me and I wasn't even hard when it happened. It happened again a few days later, so I looked it up because I didn't know if it was natural or if it was just happening to me because my head got fucked with. That's why I asked you. I just wondered if you'd ever had anything like that, okay?"

"Oh." Erwin tried to imagine it, and he pushed back an unreasonable feeling of jealousy that Eren had given Levi an experience that he'd never been able to. "I can't say I've ever experienced anything like that. It must have been intense for you to bring it up out of the blue like that."

"It was," admitted Levi. "It even scared me, because I didn't know what the fuck was happening to me. Look it up online if you think I'm making it up. It's a real thing."

"I believe you," assured Erwin. "Levi, it's good that you still feel close enough to me to talk about something so personal. I can't say I don't envy your husband at least a little. You...never had one of those while we were together?"

Erwin thought he would have remembered something like that. Surely he would have noticed if Levi had ever come with his whole body. The man had never been shy about expressing himself in the bedroom, at least.

"No, sorry," confirmed Levi. "I wouldn't have forgotten something like that, and I wouldn't have been taken so off-guard by it if I'd ever felt it before. Don't take it personal; you gave me plenty of screamers in your day."

The compliment salved Erwin's wounded pride a bit. "I appreciate that. You seem worried about the experience, though. Otherwise I doubt you would have mentioned it to me. You aren't in the habit of telling me the details of your sex life with Eren."

"Yeah, I know. The loss of control just spooked me, I guess. Maybe I brought it up to you because I felt like I needed some kind of reassurance that I'm not abnormal."

"You aren't abnormal," soothed Erwin. "I've heard of what you described, though I've never met anyone that experienced it. I don't think it has anything to do with your physical condition. I think—and I can't believe I'm about to say this—that you have such a strong spiritual connection with Eren that it inspired something beyond an ordinary climax."

Levi was silent for several minutes, and then: "I don't know how you still do that."

"Do what?" asked Erwin.

"Figure out exactly what I'm thinking and drag it out of me. You and Eren both do that, but it took him longer to figure out how."

Erwin smiled. "So then you agree with my opinion?"

"Agree with it?" scoffed Levi. "It's almost the same thing I was thinking. Both times it's happened, I felt...different, afterwards. More like my old self."

"Ah, I see." Erwin's eyes widened a little at the revelation. He'd noticed the improvement in Levi's moods and behavior, but he assumed it was a result of his therapy. It didn't occur to him that the man might have had a spiritual experience, because Levi wasn't a spiritual person in the least. "In that case, I hope it happens for you again."

"Tch. So does Eren. In fact, he's insisted that we regularly do what we were doing the first two times it happened."

"I appreciate you not going into details," said Erwin dryly. He shrugged. "Eren may have a good point, though. If these full-body orgasms are beneficial to you in a broader scope than the standard sort, you should consider exploring them some more. Don't let your fear of the unusual stop you from achieving something that's good for you, Levi."

Levi took a deep breath, and his voice sounded unusually subdued when he spoke again. "I know you're right. I suppose I just needed to hear it. Nobody needs to know about this conversation though, okay? I don't want to explain to Eren why I was asking my ex for sex advice, and I sure as hell don't want my mother-in-law hearing about it."

"Trust me, I had no intention of sharing," assured Erwin. "It's not a conversation piece I would ever want to spring up in front of either of them."

"No shit. All right, speaking of sex; I'm sure you want to have some of your own. Uh, thanks for the advice, blondie."

"Of course. You can always talk to me, Levi. That hasn't changed, and I hope it never will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The call ended, and Erwin took the phone away from his ear to stare at it for a moment. While he meant it when he said he wouldn't want to talk about that discussion with anyone else, a part of him was tempted to ask Eren what his technique was. Erwin scoffed at the notion.

"Oh yes, casually ask my former lover's husband what he does to make him come like that," he muttered. "That wouldn't give the impression that I'm a perverted old man who's still in love with his ex at all."

Erwin shook his head. Getting over Levi had been the hardest thing he'd ever done, even before he knew they'd been together in a previous life. He'd let go of the past, learned to love the man as a friend rather than a sexual interest and found a wonderful woman to share his life with. However, Erwin knew that it would only take one screw up to give the opposite impression. Everyone that had recovered their past life memories knew about the kind of relationship Erwin used to have with Levi, and if he gave them any reason to think he still harbored desire in his heart, it would cause mistrust and pain.

The door opened behind him, and Madeline called out to him. "Erwin? Are you finished with your phone call?"

He turned around to face his wife, and he stared at her. Madeline was wearing an emerald green bustier set of satin and lace. The garter belt was clipped to white transparent stockings that covered her legs up to the thigh.

"I fibbed," Madeline said, blushing over the way he was looking at her. "It's lace and satin, not silk. I hope this will do."

Erwin put his phone down on the glass outdoor table between the two patio chairs, and he silenced it for good measure. He approached her, scooped her up bridal style and spoke in a low husk into her ear.

"I'm more interested in the woman wearing it than I am in the material."

Madeline giggled, putting her arms around his neck as he carried her through the glass doors and into their hotel room. Erwin's concern that he would be too preoccupied to give her the attention she deserved proved to be unfounded.

* * *

-To be continued


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience! I've been dealing with a personal crisis, so updates are a bit on the slow side. Hopefully this chapter will make up for the wait.

The next day Levi went with the team he'd assigned to investigate Kevin Riley's house. He was renting in a run down neighborhood, and his was the only house left standing on the street. The rest of them had been demolished by the city, and there was currently a building site where one of them once stood. It looked like they were going to build new housing in the area.

"So much for asking any neighbors about this asshole," grumbled Levi, pulling up behind Petra's sedan. She was already inside the house with the other two agents he'd assigned. Mike was currently at the agency holding area, trying to get information out of the prisoner.

Levi got out of the car, and when his phone vibrated, he checked it to find a text message from Eren.

_"Meet me for lunch, babe?"_

Levi grunted. He sent a return message with some regret. _"I can't today. Too tied up. Raincheck?"_

After a moment, Eren responded. _"Okay, I understand. You can make it up to me tonight. ;-)"_

Levi's mouth twitched with the threat of a smirk, then he sobered. Eren wasn't hinting at having ordinary sex—though Levi couldn't really describe any of their sexual encounters as "ordinary". They had agreed the night before to set a schedule after Levi got off the phone with Erwin. He'd been the one to come up with the idea, in fact. Today fell on one of the allotted days of the week they were supposed to try and induce a full-body orgasm for Levi. After thinking it over a bit, Levi suggested they pick two days out of each week to try for it, and Eren immediately gave his approval for the idea.

"Guess I'm going to be a screaming crybaby tonight," sighed Levi. Or maybe he wouldn't. He still didn't know if it would happen every time Eren used his technique on him. He might just get away with an intense but normal climax. Levi had mixed feelings about it. He couldn't deny the benefits of the afterglow he felt when he had the other kind of orgasm, but the loss of control he experienced during the event still scared the piss out of him.

"Levi?"

He looked up from his phone to find Petra walking toward him from the house they were searching. Her eyes were wide, and she looked a little bit shaken.

_~Oh fuck, it's worse than I thought. They found a body in there or something.~_

"What is it?" he asked aloud, trying not to jump to conclusions. "Do we need to call the bomb squad or something? You look like you're about to shit yourself."

"It's nothing like that," she answered, glancing over her shoulder at the worn building, "but you should come and see. It's...a little shocking. Maybe you should brace yourself, sir."

Frowning in puzzlement, he walked with her to the front door. The smell hit him first, and he gagged. Levi tugged the sweater he was wearing up to cover his mouth and nose. It smelled like rot, and as soon as he joined Petra inside, he understood why. Flies were buzzing around a table in the middle of the living room, which opened up into a small kitchen area. There was an open pizza box on the table with two uneaten slices in it. They must have been there for a while, judging by the maggots crawling on them.

That wasn't the only neglected food item in the house. Bowls of spoiled milk and half-eaten cereal on the countertops, cup of noodles stacked by the sink, a bucket of fried chicken bones left carelessly out. It was absolutely disgusting, and there were roaches crawling all over the walls and ceiling.

"This is a thing of fucking nightmares," rasped Levi. He'd seen some gruesome sights in his career, but the level of filth he saw before him was far worse to a clean fanatic like Levi.

"I agree, sir," said one of the agents, coming out from the hallway. He'd taken off the cap he'd been wearing and he was covering half his face with it. "Don't know how anyone could live like this, but that isn't even the worst of it."

"I don't know how much worse it could get than this, Sullivan. Unless there's a big pile of shit on the bathroom floor."

The brown-haired male agent exchanged a glance with Petra. "Have you told him?"

"I wouldn't know where to begin," she excused, fanning the air in front of her face in a futile attempt to wave away the odor. "I think it's best to just show him."

"Just tell me," insisted Levi. "I've already had my fill of disgusting surprises today. Where's Isabel?"

"She had to step out back," answered Petra. "The smell got to her."

"Can't say I'm surprised. I'm gonna fucking puke if I stay in here much longer. Now what's this thing you're having trouble telling me about?"

"Um, well sir, it seems our perp had a sort of...eh...shrine set up in the bedroom."

Levi's brows pinched. "What, you mean like an alter? He's a religious kook?"

"Not exactly," Petra answered. She took a step back as if fearing an explosion from him at any moment. "It's more of a shrine to your hmmbbn..."

"What?" Losing patience both due to the filth around him and her evasiveness, Levi glared at the girl. "Stop mumbling. A shrine to my what?"

"Your husband," she answered, backing up further when he stepped closer to her.

Levi stopped and stared at her. "To Eren?"

Petra nodded. "His bedroom is covered in posters and fan paraphernalia. Concert tickets, "Remember the Titans" banners, t-shirts. You need to have a look, sir. I think you nailed it when you said the shooter might have been aiming for Eren. He's obsessed with him."

Levi pushed past her and the other agent, dreading what he was about to set foot in but now desperate to have it confirmed. He stepped through the door of the bedroom when he found it, and he stared. It wasn't just the walls that were plastered with pictures of Eren and his band; the ceiling was also covered in them. It was like a creepy collage you'd see a murderer put together in a movie, but this was all too real. Eren's face decorated every inch of the bedroom. In some pictures, the rest of the band had been cut out of them, leaving little doubt of which member their gunman was most interested in.

All of that was tame in comparison to what Levi spotted on one of the walls next, though. Pictures—not glossy magazine images, but actual photographs taken by hand. Some were of Eren exiting the tour bus or a stadium, and those weren't so alarming. Levi was sure lots of fans had pictures of Eren that they'd taken themselves during public appearances. No, those weren't particularly alarming, but the pictures of Eren outside their own home were. The one that Levi was in set off every alarm bell in the agent's head. His face had been crossed out. He and Eren were walking their dogs, and judging by the shorter length of Eren's hair in it, the photograph had been taken a long time ago, before the abduction incident.

His attention was torn away from that picture when he saw one of Eren stark naked. At least, that's what he thought it was at first. It was a printed photo that looked like it had come off the internet, and it only took Levi a couple of seconds to realize it wasn't actually Eren at all, but some nude model with Eren's face photoshopped onto his body.

"Christ," breathed Levi. He immediately stepped in front of the picture to block it from view when his companions joined him in the room. Though it wasn't really his husband, he didn't want people looking at it.

And he'd thought it was bad when someone recorded a video of him and Eren getting it on in their bedroom and put it on the internet. This was worse...so much worse. Levi masked his shock and disgust with the skill of a man that had made an art out of hiding his thoughts from others, but he caught a glimpse of himself in the cracked mirror to the left of him, and he could see that all the color had drained out of him. He was white as a sheet.

"Big bro, are you okay?" asked Isabel uncertainly. Her voice was hoarse, probably because she'd tossed her cookies.

"This sicko's obsessed with my husband, nearly killed one of us and probably meant to kill me," Levi said in a low voice. He spoke softly because he was afraid that if he raised his voice at all, he'd start screaming. "If he wasn't such a suck shot, one of us would be dead. No, I'm not okay."

Levi turned around and ripped the doctored nude picture off the wall. He balled it up and tossed it to the floor, and then he started yanking the other pictures down.

"L-Levi, you're destroying evidence," cautioned Petra. "We need to take pictures and document this!"

He made himself stop, and his knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists. "Get it done. I've got to get some fresh air."

He almost stumbled as he made his exit. Rushing blindly for the front door, Levi held his breath until he made it outside. He then bent over and put his hands on his knees, sucking in deep breaths to clear his head and fight back his nausea.

"You sick fucker," gasped Levi after a few moments. He still didn't know for sure whether he had been the intended target, or if Riley intended to shoot Eren. After what he'd seen, Levi could imagine the man being one of those lunatics that would rather see his obsession dead than with someone else.

Someone's hand settled on his shoulder, and Levi recoiled defensively before seeing that it was Isabel. He stopped himself just in time to avoid punching her, and she backed up with a startled look. When he relaxed, she did as well.

"You should know better than to sneak up on me at a time like this," Levi admonished. His voice sounded thick to his own ears, and his mouth was watering from the sick feeling he had in his stomach.

"Sorry about that, Levi," she told him, wincing. "I was just worried about you. I know it's crazy fucked up, but try to look at it this way: we caught the guy and now we at least have a clue about his motives."

"What about the next time?" Levi said.

"The next time?" Isabel blinked in confusion. "There won't _be_ a next time, because we've got the guy."

"I mean the next time some batshit, crazed fan of his snaps and tries to demonstrate their affection with bullets. Fuck, I knew we wouldn't have a normal life together but between secret organizations trying to experiment on Eren and dropping titans on us out of the sky, a guy that used to wear a giant monkey suit brainwashing me and obsessed fans trying to sexually exploit us or kill us, I'm starting to miss the good old days of being walled in with the constant threat of being eaten alive."

"Okay bro, calm down." Isabel cautiously patted Levi on the shoulder in a sisterly gesture of comfort. "You've been through hell, and you have limits just like everyone else. Why don't we hit a pub or something and have some drinks? You look like you could use it."

"The last thing I need right now is to get shit-faced on top of this," he told her in all seriousness. "Crippling my inhibitions isn't what I need right now. If I get drunk, I might end up going to containment and killing that fucker out of sheer rage."

"Wow, you really are pissed," Isabel observed. "Maybe some tea then? Something like chamomile to settle your nerves. Or we could go to a kava bar and get something there."

"I'll be fine. I just had to get out of that stench and pull my thoughts together."

Isabel didn't look very convinced. "I'm worried about you, Levi. You almost hit me, and you've never done that before."

The reminder of the way he'd bowed up on her made Levi feel wretched. He'd done his share of kicking recruits into shape in the past, true enough, but he had never stricken Isabel. In fact, he'd always avoided hitting women at all unless he had no other recourse. He'd even resisted the urge to slap Hange when she was in hysterics over Moblit getting shot. "I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't, and you stopped yourself before you swung at me. I didn't really think you'd pop me, but the fact is you started to until you realized it was me. You're way too stressed, big bro. If you don't want to go for drinks with me, I think you should go home and spend the rest of the day with your hubby. Give him lots of hugs and kisses, because you need it."

"Tch. Your simplistic way of thinking hasn't changed," he accused. "Cuddles aren't going to fix the problem at the heart of the matter."

"And what's the heart of the matter?" she pressed. "You've had a bad year, but it won't always be like this. When people aren't trying to destroy the world or make you their butt monkey, you and Eren have a happy life together, right?"

Levi shrugged and looked away.

"Okay, then maybe you should just divorce him."

His head whipped back around, and he stared at her irately. "Excuse me, but what the fuck did you just say?"

"Divorce him," repeated the redhead casually. "If being married to Eren is making you so miserable, get rid of him."

"I'm not miserable," Levi protested. "I'm just sick of disaster following us wherever the hell we go, in whatever life we live. It's like the universe can't give us a moment's fucking peace, and Eren's fame isn't making it any easier. If I were a superstitious person, I would swear we're cursed."

"Cursed, huh?" Isabel sighed. "You never seem to have an easy life, that's for sure. Even so, Eren always makes you feel better, doesn't he? You even smile when you're around him, and that's like...a miracle. I probably only saw you smile three times since I met you back in the old days, but since being reunited with you and seeing how you are around Eren, I've seen you crack more smiles than I ever thought was possible. Farlan said the same thing just the other night."

"So what's your endgame with all this talk?" Levi asked her. "Where are you heading with this."

"I'm not sure." Isabel grinned. "I really just wanted to see how you'd react to my suggestion of a divorce."

Levi frowned. "Why? Do you get off on making me mad?"

"No, but now you know how you feel about it. You were complaining about how tough you two have it, but really, all I see when you're together is two guys that totally love each other. I only said that to get a reaction out of you and remind you how much you love him."

Levi drew a cleansing breath, impressed as well as annoyed. "You little shit."

Isabel spread her hands. "What? I was just trying to help out."

Levi looked at the house with a distasteful grimace. "You guys can handle this if I take off?"

"Absolutely, though I need to find something to use as a mask so I don't puke again."

"Here." Levi just remembered that he had a handkerchief in his pocket, and he took it out to offer it to her. "Tie this over your mouth and nose. Wish I'd thought of it earlier."

"Thanks. So are you going home to your hottie?"

Levi nodded. The sun came out from behind the clouds, and he squinted against the glare. "Yeah. I've got to tell him about this, though I'm not looking forward to it."

Eren had been resisting stepping up security even more. Levi couldn't blame him for that, but the loss of more privacy due to increased bodyguard presence was preferable to some other crackpot fan getting to him and doing real harm.

* * *

Eren was happy to see Levi come through the door far sooner than expected, but then he saw the look on his face, and his cheerful greeting died on his lips. He wasn't sure just when he'd started reading more into those deadpan expressions than what was on the surface, but somehow, Eren could tell when his partner was troubled even when his visage looked calm.

"What's the matter?" he asked, walking up to him as the agent closed the front door behind him.

"I just came from the house that shooter prick was living in," answered Levi. He reached down to give each of the dogs a pat on the head when they came up to him to greet him. "The shit I saw in there literally turned me white."

"What was in there?" Eren's imagination perked up, and his eyes widened. "Was there a body? Is he some serial killer with a collection of corpses stashed in his place?"

"No, just a disgusting slob with a major obsession for a certain clumsy rock star."

Eren tilted his head. "Huh?"

"That's what I thought you'd say," sighed Levi. "Come sit down with me in the living room. Better grab yourself a beer. Maybe something stronger."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" The seriousness in Levi's gaze was a little scary. Eren wondered if the guy had ties to yet some other organization that they didn't know about.

"No, you aren't going to like it," confirmed Levi. "Go and get your drink. I'll wait."

Now combating a feeling of dread, Eren did as his spouse suggested. He made himself a whiskey sour, and Levi turned him down when he offered to make one for him as well. Guessing that Levi might have taken one of his pills that shouldn't be mixed with alcohol, Eren heated up the electric kettle to prepare a cup of Levi's tea for him. Once he had both drinks ready, Eren carried them into the living room and he shooed Luka out of the way when he found the spot beside Levi occupied by the canine. With a little huff, the animal moved aside so that Eren could take a seat.

"Okay, I'm ready for the news," Eren told his spouse, handing over the teacup. "What did you find in there?"

"Kevin Riley had pictures of you plastered all over his bedroom. I don't just mean the walls, either. He had band merchandise piled up to the ceiling, magazines dating back three years that featured your band or just you, even pictures he must have taken himself at concerts he attended."

"Oh." Eren frowned. "So he's a fan of our music. I don't understand. Why would he shoot at Erwin?"

"He wasn't aiming for him," answered Levi. "I'm pretty sure his target was either you or me. Eren, when I say he's obsessed, I'm not kidding. He went above and beyond the scope of what you'd expect from most fans. Not even teenage girls have that many pictures of you on their walls, I'd wager."

"Wow, so he's a _big_ fan that you think tried to kill me. I still don't get it. If he's that big of a fan, why shoot at me?" Eren thought it over for a minute, and he arrived at a conclusion. "Unless he thought our last album sucked so bad he thought I deserved to die for it. Or maybe he was pissed because of a cancelled show he'd bought tickets to. Should I try to talk to the guy?"

"Absolutely fucking not," Levi snapped, his eyes flashing. "I'm not letting you anywhere near that piece of shit. He's off his rocker and dangerous, Eren. He had spoiled food just laying around collecting maggots. Hell, he might have eaten some of it after it spoiled for all I know. The food had been out for a while and unless he hasn't been home for weeks, he...shit, I can't think about that. I really _will_ puke if I speculate."

"Okay, so he's got hygiene issues on top of the crazy," reasoned Eren. "Has he said anything yet? Did he give any reason for what he did?"

"Mike hasn't gotten anything out of him yet, and I can't be in the same room with him or I'll end up breaking his fucking neck. The evidence we found in his house is all we have to go on so far. Petra's going to try and get a statement from his landlord, see if they can give us any insight on the guy. What I do know is that he's fixated particularly on you. I don't think he gives a shit about the rest of the band. He even had a picture on his wall with your face photoshopped on a nude model."

Eren's eyes widened. "Seriously? That's uh...shit, that's really..."

"Insane," Levi finished for him. "I know people do that kind of thing with celeb pictures all the time, but combined with everything else it really took on a more sinister meaning to me. For now, we have to assume that his bullets were meant for one of us. Either he was trying to kill me because I'm married to you, or he was trying to kill you because he can't stand not having you for himself."

Levi sighed, took a sip of his tea and shook his head. "I don't know what's sicker to me, the fact that this guy got so caught up in his desire for you that he thought murder was the solution, or the idea of what could have happened if he'd taken a different route and managed to kidnap you. Maybe that's even his primary motivation for trying to take me out, if I was the one he was trying to shoot. It could be that he thought if he could get me out of the way, he could get to you more easily. It makes me..."

Eren saw how tightly Levi was holding onto his teacup, and he set aside his drink to gently ease Levi's out of his hands before he could crack it under the force of his grip. "Hey, it's all right. He's been caught and he can't get to me. Whatever his plan was, whatever his reasons for it, he can't hurt us now. I don't like seeing you get so worked up, gorgeous."

Levi held his eyes, and he spoke in a flat tone of voice. "Eren, what would you have done if you'd been in my place and found pictures of me wallpapering that room, rather than the other way around? How would you have felt knowing that the guy that opened fire on us at that wedding did it because he was trying specifically to get to me?"

Eren's expression darkened. "I'd lose my shit," he admitted softly. "I'd kill...okay, I see your point."

"Thank you. So stop trying to downplay it and don't tell me not to get worked up. This isn't just a case of some pervert uploading sex videos of us on the internet. This guy is a killer, and if his aim had been better, you could be dead right now."

"I understand that," Eren told him as calmly as he could. God, Levi was trembling. Eren could feel that rage in him like a blast of hot air hitting him. He had to get Levi calmed down. He was afraid that if this went on the man would have a breakdown and do something truly reckless.

"Levi, what can I do that would make you feel more secure? How can I make it better? Just tell me what you want, and I'll do it."

"I don't know," sighed Levi. He dropped his gaze, his brows tightening over his troubled gray eyes. "Even though we have this guy in custody, you can bet your ass he isn't the only fan of yours that took it to extremes. Your popularity is a danger in of itself, brat. This has been a brutal reminder of that fact, for me."

The statement chilled Eren. He knew Levi was right. Most of his experiences with the fanbase were of being adored and admired, but history showed that for some celebrities, it could get out of control. For a few unfortunates, what started out as a public appearance to sign autographs, participate in charity events or put on a show ended in tragic death.

"I try not to think about that," whispered Eren. "I always tell myself it won't happen to me because I'm not a big enough star. Things like getting shot in the face by someone that's supposed to idolize you was something the really big name celebs had to worry about, not me."

"News flash, Eren: you _are_ a big name celebrity." Levi gave him a hint of a smirk. "I'm glad you're still down to earth enough to be humble about it, but your fame has grown even more since the struggle with the BRS. Telling your story to the media after it was all over just made you even cooler to the world. You're not just the hot lead singer of a rock band anymore. You're the hot lead singer that took on a bunch of terrorists and kicked ass while doing it. Didn't you realize how that would inflate your popularity?"

"I guess I didn't." Eren smiled sheepishly at his spouse. "Maybe I should tell the world I used to be able to turn into one of those things they dropped from those ships. They might not think I'm so cool if they find out I used to be a titan shifter."

"Or they'll just think you're even cooler. I wouldn't risk it."

This time Levi smiled a little, and Eren returned it. He reached out to squeeze the smaller man's knee. "So what are we going to do about this?"

Levi sighed. "You need more security, for one thing. Not around the home per say, but out in public. If I could watch you twenty-four seven I would, but we both know I can't unless I quit the agency and stick to you like glue."

"I don't want you to lose your career," Eren said, frowning. "You've just gotten it back on track and I know you would go stir crazy without your work."

"Which leads me to the next option. We hire full time bodyguards to be with you. Work out a shift schedule and have them at your side whenever you leave the house. Kind of like it was before when Zeke was after you."

"I hated that," complained Eren.

"I know you did, but you've got to have security beyond when you go on tours. When I can't do it, I want someone I can trust to do it for me. I'm not saying you've got to take a shit in front of them. I just want you accompanied by a capable agent when you go out in public."

Eren clenched his jaw, loathing the idea but so eager to assuage Levi's fears that he couldn't see another way around it. "For how long?"

Levi raised a brow. "How long are you going to be famous, kid?"

Eren sighed. "That's a tough call to make, Captain. I want you to feel like you can turn your back on me without worrying about me getting kidnapped or killed, but bodyguards with me at all times? Possibly for the rest of my life?"

"Do you have a better idea?" challenged Levi. "I'm willing to listen."

Eren spread his knees and rested his hands on them, feeling a headache coming on. "What else _can_ I do? Retire from the music industry?"

When Levi didn't say anything, the singer looked at him again. There was something in his husband's gaze that gave him pause, and Eren realized that look said Levi wouldn't be opposed to that solution. He wouldn't say it, though. Levi would never ask it of him.

Could he do it? Break up the band and start over again? Try to live a different lifestyle? They probably wouldn't be able to afford the house for long if he stopped pulling in money through his music. Live shows were the bread and butter of any musical group, so even if Eren tried to tone it down and not be in the spotlight so much, it would cause a financial drag. Even if he retired completely, he wasn't going to become un-famous over night. In fact, ending his career abruptly stood the risk of creating more people like Kevin Riley. A number of fans would probably be pissed at him, and that could lead to people trying to kill him out of sheer disappointment.

"We'll try your idea," Eren decided at last. He needed to think about things, maybe have a talk with Armin and the band about how he should go about doing it if it came to quitting the band. He couldn't even believe he was considering it, but Eren's marriage was more important to him than clinging to wealth and fame.

* * *

"Levi, let's go to bed."

The agent took his attention off the television, and he gazed at his spouse wordlessly. He and Eren sat down to watch the evening news after dinner and a brief walk with the dogs. It was still early, but Levi could see by the look in Eren's eyes that sleep wasn't what he had in mind.

"You know what day it is, right?" queried Eren when Levi didn't respond.

"Yeah," answered the smaller man softly. "I know what day it is."

"So then, are you uh...still in agreement with our plan?" Eren held his eyes, clearly trying to be diplomatic but determined to stick with the schedule.

Levi considered him quietly. Eren would never try to force him. Nor would he guilt trip him if rejected. There wasn't a doubt in Levi's mind that he could change his mind about it right now, go back on his promise and tell him never to ask again, and Eren would forgive him. The man had compromised for him earlier though. He'd agreed to something he clearly didn't want to do, and all to make Levi feel like he had some control, help him feel secure.

"Yes, I'm still in agreement," Levi said. He got up, turned off the television and started for their bedroom. He glanced back over his shoulder at Eren, his hooded gaze inviting. "You coming?"

Eren had a dumbfounded expression on his face. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm coming. Sorry, it's just that when you look at me over your shoulder like that, I always get a flashback of the first time you ever spoke to me. You know, back when we plugged the hole in the wall with that boulder."

"Is that so? No wonder you always stare at me like that. So is it just the stance, or what?"

"That and the fact that you've got the finest little ass I've ever seen." Eren chuckled, and he got up to follow him. "Something about that pose just seems to accentuate it."

"I'll have to make a note of that for future reference, then." Levi's seductive tone belied how nervous he felt. He was going to experience it again; that soul-shattering bliss which left him helpless and tingling all over. He could tell himself that it might not happen this time, but just looking at his husband he knew that Eren was going to do his very best to make sure it did.

Levi almost felt like he was being escorted to a torture chamber, which was ridiculous because there was nothing physically painful about those special orgasms. It was painful in an emotional way though, because it purged the darkness inside of him and left him feeling raw and exposed. Eren was very good about comforting him afterwards, though. He'd always been good at the comfort care.

Levi took solace in that as he and Eren stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind them so the dogs wouldn't interrupt their intimate time. He entered his companion's embrace, tilted his head back and let Eren lay claim to his lips. That was part of the experience; submitting to the other man, giving him authority over the encounter. That part Levi enjoyed, but he wished he could get the same thing out of getting his ass spanked as he got from the full-body climax.

* * *

Eren was especially tender with Levi. He'd entertained doubts all day long about pushing for this tonight. After hearing about what Levi discovered today and seeing how it troubled him, Eren wondered if it would be a mistake to induce one of those orgasms that laid his husband bare. Levi wasn't offering any resistance though, seemed dead set on keeping to their agreement.

Eren undressed Levi slowly, kissing him all the while. His lips, his face, his throat...and then down from there as he shed more of the agent's clothing. Eren got to his knees once he had Levi's sweater, shoes and socks off. He looked up at him from his position in front of Levi's crotch, and he started working his pants open. Levi watched him, his chest moving faster with his quickening breath. He was fully hard already, Eren noticed. That was good.

The captain might be fearful of the strangeness of the moment when it happened, but Eren suspected Levi enjoyed it more than he was willing to admit. When it happened to him, it was more because of his state of mind than anything else. Eren was sure of that. First though, he had to get his husband relaxed enough to let it happen. Making him come hard before he made love to him was the key to doing that.

Eren got the pants undone, and he eased them down over Levi's hips. He kissed the man's hip, nibbled gently at it and then brushed his nose against the crisp, trimmed hair framing Levi's groin. Eren inhaled the musky scent, letting his fingers glide over the curve of Levi's ass. He felt the other man shiver, heard his quick intake of breath.

"I want to use a different position tonight," suggested Eren softly.

"What position?" Levi's voice was strained, and his cock twitched when Eren blew on it.

He was taking a gamble with this idea, but Eren had a hunch that he wanted to test out. "You on your hands and knees."

"Deeper penetration?" guessed Levi. "You know I'm fine with that."

The penetration wasn't Eren's goal, at least not in the sense Levi was talking about. He said nothing about it though, leaving it up in the air because he didn't want to give away his reasons. He kissed Levi's navel, and then he took him into his mouth and started pleasuring him. Levi tensed initially, taken by surprise over the lack of warning. That was also deliberate on Eren's part. Varying his techniques just enough to keep his husband unbalanced was an important part of this goal, he believed.

"Nnnh," came Levi's grunted reaction. He sifted his fingers through Eren's hair, his ass flexing reactively to the motions of Eren's mouth around him. Eren had been anticipating this encounter all day long, so he already had some lubricant on him in case they went through with it as planned. He didn't go for it yet though. First he needed to get his partner good and worked up.

Levi hissed when Eren's teeth gently scraped over the head of his cock. His thighs tensed and his breath caught. Eren licked the slit in the tip, tasting the salty precum he'd coaxed out. He turned his head to take Levi in from a different angle, working his tongue and lips with practiced control. He sucked harder for a brief period, then gentled it when he felt his companion shudder warningly.

"Eren," panted Levi after a while when the singer squeezed the base of his cock to prevent him from coming too soon.

The quiet warning in that voice told Eren that it was time to take things to the bed. He gave Levi one last suck, kissed the tip of his cock and stood up. He stared into the agent's dazed, lusty eyes and he caressed his face.

"Get into the bed."

Levi took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to gather up his shaken composure. He did as Eren told him, and he immediately got onto his hands and knees once he climbed onto the bed. With his ass presented in the air to the singer, Levi looked over his shoulder at him with flashing eyes.

"This what you had in mind?"

Eren gulped. That position...maybe he'd pushed it by insisting on it. Completely exposed to him, beautiful and wanton, Levi was a wet dream in the flesh. Eren nodded, keeping his cool with substantial effort.

"That's exactly what I had in mind, sexy." Eren reached into the back pocket of his jeans for the tube of lubricant he had preemptively equipped himself with. He got onto the bed with his spouse and he uncapped the lube.

"Hey, why aren't you getting undressed?" protested Levi.

"I'll take some clothes off in a little while," promised Eren. Getting naked himself wasn't a priority for him. He only needed his pants down once things moved to the next level. "Just relax, Captain. I'm going to make you feel really good."

Levi faced forward again, and he grabbed a pillow to cushion his elbows. He folded his arms over it and eased his top half down so that his body sloped at an angle. Levi knew how to position himself for the best possible access when he took this position, and Eren traced his spine delicately before squeezing his ass with both hands. He again demonstrated his intentions with no warning, spreading Levi's cheeks and going straight for the gold.

"Shit," yelped Levi when Eren's tongue made intimate contact. "Been a little while...since you've done that."

Eren's mouth was too occupied to formulate a verbal response, so he merely hummed. He circled the tight pucker a few times before entering shallowly. His tongue thrust with controlled, deliberate action, drawing a moan from Levi. Eren reached around in front to grip the other man's erection, not fondling it, but holding it possessively. He localized the sensation to Levi's ass for a while, thrusting and curling his tongue inside of him, listening to the agent's breaths getting steadily more ragged by the moment.

Levi started swearing breathily, rocking back against Eren until the singer let go of his cock and ass long enough to grip his hips to still him. Another of those familiar tremors passed through Levi, and Eren covertly picked up the lubricant. He made the transition smoothly, slicking up the first two fingers of his right hand while keeping Levi distracted with his mouth. As soon as Eren withdrew his tongue and pulled back, he replaced it with his fingers. They went in easily, thanks to the saliva, the lubricant and the oral attentions loosening the other man up.

Levi dropped his head to the pillow and bit it, muffling a groan. Eren got to his knees behind him and he worked his fingers inside of him steadily as he started undoing his pants with his other hand. He was sweating, and he wished he'd thought to cut the temperature down on the thermostat before starting this. At this rate he feared he might come in his pants before he even got inside of Levi.

"You're so lovely," husked Eren, inspired by the sensuality and masculine beauty of his partner.

This time, Levi didn't complain about Eren spouting poetic endearments. He seemed to be too preoccupied with the pleasure Eren was giving him. He tensed and moaned when Eren made contact with the gland inside of him and started manipulating it in that specific way he'd discovered.

Eren got his pants undone and freed himself from them before gripping the base of Levi's arousal again. This time he stroked the length of it instead of just holding it to restrict ejaculation.

"Easy baby," encouraged Eren when Levi started to whimper and shake. "Don't fight it. You're almost there."

"Oh...hah...hah... _hah_!" By the increasing volume of Levi's short, strained exclamations, it was going to be another monster of an orgasm. Eren kept it up, his fingers strumming inside of him, his breath huffing and rough with desire and his hand milking Levi attentively. Levi lifted up off the pillow, tossed his head back and arched his back. He made a sound that almost reminded Eren of a violent sneeze when he bucked in his hand and spilled himself.

"Ah, fuck," wheezed Levi when Eren eased up on his attentions to let him recover a bit. "W-we didn't put a towel down..."

"I'll change the bedding afterwards," promised the singer, anxious to slide his aching cock into that snug heat. He lined himself up, not giving Levi more than a few moments respite. What was that phrase Hange was fond of using? _"Strike while the iron is hot"._ Yes, that definitely applied in this situation.

"Erk," blurted Levi as Eren's fingers evicted him, only to be replaced by his cock.

"You okay?" asked Eren, slowing his momentum out of concern that he'd moved a little too fast.

"Y-yeah," panted Levi. "Fuck, what are you gonna put in me next, your toes?"

That made Eren chuckle. "I'm not that kinky." He drove himself the rest of the way in and closed his eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the constriction around him and calm down. "Damn, you feel so good."

Levi had bowed his head again, and he was sucking in shaky breaths. Eren started to move slowly, reminding himself not to get too eager. He rocked smoothly against Levi, letting him feel every inch of him, sliding against his prostate deliberately. The smaller man started to moan again. Doing this before he could recover from orgasm seemed to be another important move. It allowed Levi to feel with more than his genitals, forced him to experience intimacy on a different level.

It was difficult for Eren to refrain from touching Levi's erotic zones. Eren was used to teasing his nipples, fondling his balls, stroking him off while he screwed him. For his current purposes, he stroked the smaller man's hair, rubbed his back and cupped his hips.

Eren went at it for a few minutes, and he realized Levi was starting to get hard again when he briefly cupped between his legs to check on him. It wasn't happening the way it had the last two times, and Eren thought he understood why. He hunched over his spouse's back, cupped Levi's jaw and leaned over to one side.

"Look at me, gorgeous."

The captain's gray eyes, usually so penetrating, were fogged and distant until they met Eren's. The gaze suddenly came into sharp focus on him, the thin brows furrowed and Levi's mouth fell open.

"Nnnh..."

"I've got you," Eren promised him, vaguely aware of how often he'd been saying that to Levi recently.

His suspicion was right; eye contact was a part of what set it off. Intimacy—not just physical, but visual and spiritual. He kept his slow, steady rhythm and he held Levi's gaze. The shaking started, and Levi's eyes began to well up with tears before fluttering shut. His ass squeezed Eren tight...almost _too_ tight, and then Levi screamed.

It was a conflicting moment for Eren. He had to try and reconcile the guilt he felt for opening that floodgate with the satisfaction he got from giving Levi the release. He embraced the panting man around the torso, sped up his thrusts and rubbed his cheek against Levi's trembling shoulder. Eren came inside of him, and he bowed over him while he caught his breath. He rubbed Levi's shoulders as he recovered, and then he withdrew from him.

"Come here," Eren said hoarsely, turning Levi to face him. The man seemed boneless, helpless and stunned in the afterglow. With a bit of effort, Eren lined his husband's body up against his so that they were facing each other, and he held him close.

Just as before, Levi settled down after a while of being stroked and kissed. Eren whispered reassurances to him until the smaller man fell into a heavy sleep. He held his husband, listening to his slow, steady breathing and Eren hoped he was doing the right thing by pushing Levi to keep doing this.

* * *

Eren woke up the next morning to find himself alone in the bed. That wasn't unusual, considering Levi rarely slept through the night and Eren was a late riser. He stretched, got out of bed and suddenly realized he'd completely forgotten to change the bedding the night before as promised. Hastily gathering up the soiled sheets and pillow cases, he put them in the dirty clothes hamper and rectified his blunder.

"Levi?" Eren called, walking through the house. Lena and Luka came to him, and Eren gave both dogs a pat. "Where's your other daddy, huh guys? Oh wait, this is Thursday. He's probably at the office."

Eren found a note scribbled on the magnetic pad stuck to the refrigerator, confirming his suspicions.

_"I Fed the dogs and let them out. I don't know how late I'll be working today. Text when you wake up." – Levi_

Remembering that they had the shooter in custody, Eren reasoned that Levi was probably working hard on the case trying to find answers. Eren thought about what his spouse had told him about his findings in the guy's house, and his lips thinned.

"I might have even seen this guy before," he said to the dogs. "If he took pictures of me at events I've gone to, then I might have seen his face in the crowd. They carted him off so fast after catching him that I didn't get a good look at him."

Not that it would help much even if Eren could recognize the man. The UFI could get more information on him than Eren could provide, at any rate.

_~The asshole took shots at us though. Even if he was aiming for me, he might have hit Levi or my mother or any one of my friends. Bad enough that he shot Moblit and grazed the commander.~_

Eren's expression darkened. Yes, he wanted to have a look at the man that put his loved ones in danger.

* * *

-To be continued


End file.
